Closed shells at drip-line nuclei

The shell structure of magic nuclei far from stability is discussed in terms of the self-consistent spherical Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov theory. In particular, the sensitivity of the shell-gap sizes and the two-neutron separation energies to the choice of particle-hole and particle-particle components of the effective interaction is investigated.Comment: 19 pages, LaTeX, 8 uuencoded figures available upon reques

On three topical aspects of the N=28 isotonic chain

The evolution of single-particle orbits along the N=28 isotonic chain is studied within the framework of a relativistic mean-field approximation. We focus on three topical aspects of the N=28 chain: (a) the emergence of a new magic number at Z=14; (b) the possible erosion of the N=28 shell; and (c) the weakening of the spin-orbit splitting among low-j neutron orbits. The present model supports the emergence of a robust Z=14 subshell gap in 48Ca, that persists as one reaches the neutron-rich isotone 42Si. Yet the proton removal from 48Ca results in a significant erosion of the N=28 shell in 42Si. Finally, the removal of s1/2 protons from 48Ca causes a ~50% reduction of the spin-orbit splitting among neutron p-orbitals in 42Si.Comment: 12 pages with 5 color figure

The additional-mode garden of RR Lyrae stars

Space-based photometric missions revealed a surprising abundance of millimagnitude-level additional modes in RR Lyrae stars. The modes that appear in the modulated fundamental-mode (RRab) stars can be ordered into four major categories. Here we present the distribution of these groups in the Petersen diagram, and discuss their characteristics and connections to additional modes observed in other RR Lyrae stars.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, proceedings of the Joint TASC2-KASC9-SPACEINN-HELAS8 Conference "Seismology of the Sun and the Distant Stars 2016", to be published in EPJ Wo

A K=3 two-quasiparticle isomer in 98^{98}Sr

The decay of on-line mass-separated 98 Rb to 98 Sr is studied by γ spectroscopy. The revised decay scheme adds further evidence of the coexistence of very different shapes in 98 Sr . A set of levels is proposed to originate from particle-hole pair excitations across the Z = 40 spherical gap in analogy with 96 Sr . A deformed K = 3 band with probable even parity is built on a 7.1-ns isomer at 1838 keV. It is interpreted as a two-quasineutron excitation in accordance with a quantum Monte Carlo pairing calculation based on a deformed shell model. Configurations of the calculated lowest-lying two-quasiparticle levels confirm the importance of the [404]9/2 neutron orbital at the largest deformations in the neutron-rich A ≃ 100 region

Dependence of direct neutron capture on nuclear-structure models

The prediction of cross sections for nuclei far off stability is crucial in the field of nuclear astrophysics. We calculate direct neutron capture on the even-even isotopes $^{124-145}$Sn and $^{208-238}$Pb with energy levels, masses, and nuclear density distributions taken from different nuclear-structure models. The utilized structure models are a Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov model, a relativistic mean field theory, and a macroscopic-microscopic model based on the finite-range droplet model and a folded-Yukawa single-particle potential. Due to the differences in the resulting neutron separation and level energies, the investigated models yield capture cross sections sometimes differing by orders of magnitude. This may also lead to differences in the predicted astrophysical r-process paths. Astrophysical implications are discussed.Comment: 25 pages including 12 figures, RevTeX, to appear in Phys. Rev.

First decay study of the very neutron-rich isotope Br-93

The decay of the mass-separated, very neutron-rich isotope Br-93 has been studied by gamma-spectroscopy. A level scheme of its daughter Kr-93 has been constructed. Level energies, gamma-ray branching ratios and multipolarities suggest spins and parities which are in accord with a smooth systematics of the N=57 isotones for Z less-equal 40, suggesting the N=56 shell closure still to be effective in Kr isotopes. So far, there is no indication of a progressive onset of deformation in neutron-rich Kr isotopes.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figures, Phys. Rev. C, in prin

The possible existence of Hs in nature from a geochemical point of view

A hypothesis of the existence of a long-lived isotope 271Hs in natural molybdenites and osmirides is considered from a geochemical point of view. It is shown that the presence of Hs in these minerals can be explained only by making an additional ad hoc assumption on the existence of an isobaric pair of 271Bh-271Hs. This assumption could be tested by mass-spectrometric measurements of U, Pb, Kr, Xe, and Zr isotopic shifts.Comment: 5 pages, no figures. Physics of Particles and Nuclei Letters, 2006, Vol. 3, No. 3, pp. 165-168 in pres

Nucleosynthesis in the Early Galaxy

Recent observations of r-process-enriched metal-poor star abundances reveal a non-uniform abundance pattern for elements $Z\leq47$. Based on non-correlation trends between elemental abundances as a function of Eu-richness in a large sample of metal-poor stars, it is shown that the mixing of a consistent and robust light element primary process (LEPP) and the r-process pattern found in r-II metal-poor stars explains such apparent non-uniformity. Furthermore, we derive the abundance pattern of the LEPP from observation and show that it is consistent with a missing component in the solar abundances when using a recent s-process model. As the astrophysical site of the LEPP is not known, we explore the possibility of a neutron capture process within a site-independent approach. It is suggested that scenarios with neutron densities $n_{n}\leq10^{13}$ $cm^{-3}$ or in the range $n_{n}\geq10^{24}$ $cm^{-3}$ best explain the observations.Comment: 28 pages, 7 Postscript figures. To be published in The Astrophysical Journa

Neutron Drops and Skyrme Energy-Density Functionals

The J$^{\pi}$=0$^+$ ground state of a drop of 8 neutrons and the lowest 1/2$^-$ and 3/2$^-$ states of 7-neutron drops, all in an external well, are computed accurately with variational and Green's function Monte Carlo methods for a Hamiltonian containing the Argonne $v_{18}$ two-nucleon and Urbana IX three-nucleon potentials. These states are also calculated using Skyrme-type energy-density functionals. Commonly used functionals overestimate the central density of these drops and the spin-orbit splitting of 7-neutron drops. Improvements in the functionals are suggested

Beta-decay half-lives and beta-delayed neutron emission probabilities of nuclei in the region below A=110, relevant for the r-process

Measurements of the beta-decay properties of r-process nuclei below A=110 have been completed at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory, at Michigan State University. Beta-decay half-lives for Y-105, Zr-106,107 and Mo-111, along with beta-delayed neutron emission probabilities of Y-104, Mo-109,110 and upper limits for Y-105, Zr-103,104,105,106,107 and Mo-108,111 have been measured for the first time. Studies on the basis of the quasi-random phase approximation are used to analyze the ground-state deformation of these nuclei.Comment: 21 pages, 10 figures, article accepted for publication in Physical Review