Search for magnetic rotation in the A~140 region

Magnetic dipole bands have been identified in 142,143,144Gd and 141Eu nuclei. The observed bands are based on configurations with small oblate deformation involving high-Omega, h11/2 proton particles and low-Omega, h11/2 neutron holes. Information about the strength of the effective interaction between the constituent nucleons has been deduced using a semiclassical scheme of the coupling of two angular momentum vectors. The experimental results are compared with predictions of tilted axis cranking calculations. The transition from irregular dipole band in 144Gd to more regular ones in lighter Gd nuclei is observed.Comment: Invited talk at "High Spin Physics 2001", see http://www.fuw.edu.pl/~hs2001/, to be published in Acta Physica Polonica

The Shears Mechanism in 142Gd in the Skyrme-Hartree-Fock Method with the Tilted-Axis Cranking

We report on the first Skyrme-Hartree-Fock calculations with the tilted-axis cranking in the context of magnetic rotation. The mean field symmetries, differences between phenomenological and self-consistent methods and the generation of shears-like structures in the mean field are discussed. Significant role of the time-odd spin-spin effective interaction is pointed out. We reproduce the shears mechanism, but quantitative agreement with experiment is rather poor. It may have to do with too large core polarization, lack of pairing correlations or properties of the Skyrme force.Comment: Presented at the XXVII Mazurian Lakes School of Physics, September 2-9 2001, Krzyze, Poland, Submitted to Acta Physica Polonic

First observation of medium-spin excitations in the 138Cs nucleus

Medium-spin, yrast excitations in the 138Cs nucleus, populated in the spontaneous fission of 248Cm, were observed for the first time. 138Cs was studied by means of prompt γ-ray spectroscopy using the EUROGAM2 array. The newly observed yrast cascade, built on the known 6- isomer at 80 keV, was successfully described by shell model calculations. Analogously to the 136I isotone, the 6- isomer in 138Cs has the \ensuremath{(\pi g_{7/2} ^4 d_{5/2} \nu f_{7/2})_{6^-}} dominating configuration and the 7- excitation, located 175 keV above, corresponds to the \ensuremath{(\pi g_{7/2} ^3 d_{5/2}^2 \nu f_{7/2})_{7^-}} as dominating configuration. Similarly as in 136I, changing the position of the d 5/2 proton orbital improves the reproduction of the data. However, in 138Cs the energy of this orbital should be increased compared to its energy in 133Sb, to get the best description, in contrast to 136I and 135Sb, where it had to be decreased. The best reproduction of excitation energies in 138Cs is obtained assuming that the πd 5/2 orbital in 138Cs is located about 100 keV higher than in 133Sb. These observations suggest that the lowering of the d 5/2 s.p. energy in 135Sb is not a physical effect due to the appearance of a neutron skin, as proposed by other authors, but rather an artifact due to some deficiency of the input data used in the shell model calculations in the region of the doubly magic 132Sn core

New Spins for ground states and isomers in 115^{115}Pd and 117^{117}Pd

Levels in 115Pd and 117Pd nuclei, populated in the spontaneous fission of 248Cm were studied by means of prompt gamma spectroscopy using the EUROGAM2 array of Anti-Compton spectrometers. Negative-parity, I = 9/2 excitations were identified, which are associated with the long-lived isomers in these nuclei, reported previously as 11/2- excitations. The new data indicate spin and parity 3/2 + for ground states in 115Pd and 117Pd instead of 5/2 + proposed in previous works. This result implicates changes of spin assignments to other levels in both nuclei

Systematic decay studies of even-even 132−138132-138^Nd, 144−158144-158^Gd, 176−196176-196^Hg and 192−198192-198^Pb isotopes

The alpha and cluster decay properties of the $132-138$^Nd, $144-158$^Gd, $176-196$^Hg and $192-198$^Pb even-even isotopes in the two mass regions A = 130-158 and A = 180-198 are analysed using the Coulomb and Proximity Potential Model. On examining the clusters at corresponding points in the cold valleys (points with same A_2) of the various isotopes of a particular nucleus we find that at certain mass numbers of the parent nuclei, the clusters emitted are getting shifted to the next lower atomic number. It is interesting to see that the change in clusters appears at those isotopes where a change in shape is occurring correspondingly. Such a change of clusters with shape change is studied for the first time in cluster decay. The alpha decay half lives of these nuclei are computed and these are compared with the available experimental alpha decay data. It is seen that the two are in good agreement. On making a comparison of the alpha half lives of the normal deformed and super deformed nuclei, it can be seen that the normal deformed $132$^Nd, $176-188$^Hg and $192$^Pb nuclei are found to be better alpha emitters than the super deformed (in excited state) $134,136$^Nd, $190-196$^Hg and $194$^Pb nuclei. The cluster decay studies reveal that as the atomic number of the parent nuclei increases the N \neq Z cluster emissions become equally or more probable than the N=Z emissions. On the whole the alpha and cluster emissions are more probable from the parents in the heavier mass region (A=180-198) than from the parents in the lighter mass region (A= 130-158). The effect of quadrupole ({\beta}_2) and hexadecapole ({\beta}_4) deformations of parent and fragments on half life times are also studied.Comment: 42 pages,19 figure

The (n, gamma) campaigns at EXILL

At the PF1B cold neutron beam line at the Institut Laue Langevin, the EXILL array consisting of EXOGAM, GASP and ILL-Clover detectors was used to perform (n, gamma) measurements at very high coincidence rates. About ten different reactions were measured in autumn 2012 using a highly collimated cold neutron beam. In spring 2013, the EXOGAM array was combined with 16 LaBr3(Ce) scintillators in the EXILL&FATIMA campaign for the measurement of lifetimes using the generalised centroid difference method. We report on the properties of the set-ups and present first results from both campaigns

Influence of convective-microwave drying parameters on radical scavenging activity of dried apples

Celem pracy było porównanie wpływu suszenia konwekcyjno-mikrofalowego i konwekcyjnego (w temp. 70ºC) na aktywność przeciwutleniającą i zawartość polifenoli w jabłkach. Suszenie z wykorzystaniem mikrofal skróciło czas suszenia nawet o 63%, w porównaniu z metodą konwekcyjną. W suszach otrzymanych przy zastosowaniu mikrofal o mocy 300 W zawartość polifenoli i aktywność przeciwutleniająca były na podobnym lub nawet wyższym poziomie niż w jabłkach surowych. Użycie mikrofal o mniejszej mocy (150 W) spowodowało istotne zmniejszenie aktywności przeciwutleniającej o 21-26% i zawartości polifenoli, ale był on i tak mniejszy niż w przypadku jabłek odwadnianych konwekcyjnie.The aim of the research was comparison of microwave-convective and convective (at temp. 70ºC) drying influence on radical scavenging activity and polyphenols content of dried apples. Microwave drying shortened the time of drying even of 63% in comparison to convective drying. Radical scavenging activity and polyphenols content in the dried material, received with the use of 300 W microwave power, were similar or even higher level than in the raw apple. Significant decrease of the radical scavenging activity of 21-26% and polyphenols content was caused by the use of lower microwave power (150 W), but the value was quite lower than in case of apples received by the convective drying

Changes in radical scavenging activity and in content of polyphenols in dried apples produced using infrared radiation

Polifenole stanowią największą grupę związków wśród naturalnych przeciwutleniaczy, które w dużym stopniu wpływają na ogólną aktywność przeciwrodnikową surowca. Każda obróbka technologiczna zdecydowanie wpływa na zmiany pojemności przeciwutleniającej produktów, dlatego też celem pracy było określenie wpływu parametrów suszenia, przy zastosowaniu promieniowania podczerwonego, tj. szybkości przepływu powietrza oraz odległości źródła promieniowania od powierzchni suszonego materiału, na aktywność przeciwrodnikową oraz zawartość polifenoli w suszu jabłkowym. Wyniki analizy prób suszonych z wykorzystaniem promieniowania podczerwonego porównywano, odpowiednio, z wynikami prób suszonych metodą tradycyjną, w temperaturze 70 ºC. Czas suszenia przy zastosowaniu najwyższej odległości od źródła promieniowania i najmniejszej prędkości przepływu powietrza, w porównaniu z suszeniem konwekcyjnym, był krótszy nawet o 33 %. Czas suszenia wydłużał się wraz ze zwiększeniem przepływu powietrza oraz ze zmniejszaniem odległości od źródła promieniowania. Jednakże przy suszeniu z wykorzystaniem promieni podczerwonych wpływ odległości od źródła promieniowania i prędkości przepływu powietrza na aktywność przeciwrodnikową i zawartość polifenoli nie był jednoznaczny. Wraz ze zwiększaniem prędkości przepływu powietrza oraz krótszym czasem suszenia zaobserwowano zmniejszenie zawartości polifenoli i aktywności przeciwutleniającej przy najmniejszej odległości materiału suszonego od źródła promieniowania. Natomiast, gdy stosowano większe odległości od źródła promieniowania (20 i 30 cm) obserwowano wzrost lub brak zmian zawartości polifenoli i aktywności przeciwrodnikowej, przy wzrastającej prędkości przepływu powietrza, a więc przy niższej temperaturze tkanki. Przy odległości 30 cm od źródła promieniowania zaobserwowano, że wraz ze wzrostem przepływu powietrza następuje liniowy wzrost aktywności przeciwrodnikowej. Ponadto zaobserwowano również krzywoliniową zależność pomiędzy aktywnością przeciwrodnikową a zawartością polifenoli, co świadczy o tym, że zwiększenie zawartości polifenoli wpływa na wzrost aktywności przeciwrodnikowej badanych suszy.Natural antioxidants impact general antioxidant activity of raw material to a large extent, and, among them, polyphenols constitute the biggest group. Each technological treatment has, unquestionably, an effect on changes in the antioxidant capacity of products. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the effect of some drying parameters applied while using infrared radiation to dry apples, i.e. air flow rate and distance between the source of radiation and the surface of the material being dried, on the antioxidant activity of and the content of polyphenols in dried apples. The analysis results of apple samples dried using infrared radiation were compared with the relevant analysis results of samples dried by a traditional method, at t = 70 °C. When the distance from the radiation source was the longest and the air flow rate was the lowest, the time of drying was shorter by, even, 33 % compared to the convective drying method. The time of drying got longer along with the increasing rate of air flow and with the decreasing distance from the radiation source. However, while drying apples using infrared rays, the impact of both the distance from the radiation source and the air flow rate on the antioxidant activity and the content of polyphenols were not explicit. It was found that along with the growing air flow rate and at a shorter time of drying, the content of polyphenols and the scavenging activity were reduced at the shortest distance between the material being dried and the source of radiation. However, when longer distances from the radiation source were applied (20 and 30 cm), it was found that the content of polyphenols and antioxidant activity either grew or did not change along with the growing air flow rate, so, at a lower temperature of tissue. As for a 30 cm distance from the radiation source, a linear increase in the antioxidant activity was reported along with the increase in the air flow rate. Furthermore, a curvilinear dependence between the antioxidant activity and the content of polyphenols was shown; it evidenced the fact that the increase in the content of polyphenols impacted the increase in the antioxidant activity of the dried apple slices under this study