A comparative study of super- and highly-deformed bands in the A ~ 60 mass region

Super- and highly-deformed rotational bands in the A ~ 60 mass region are studied within cranked relativistic mean field theory and the configuration-dependent shell-correction approach based on the cranked Nilsson potential. Both approaches describe the experimental data well. Low values of the dynamic moments of inertia J^(2) compared with the kinematic moments of inertia J^(1) seen both in experiment and in calculations at high rotational frequencies indicate the high energy cost to build the states at high spin and reflect the limited angular momentum content in these configurations.Comment: 11 pages, 4 PostScript figures, Latex, uses 'epsf', submitted to Phys. Lett.

Collective T=0 pairing in N=Z nuclei? Pairing vibrations around 56Ni revisited

We present a new analysis of the pairing vibrations around 56Ni, with emphasis on odd-odd nuclei. This analysis of the experimental excitation energies is based on the subtraction of average properties that include the full symmetry energy together with volume, surface and Coulomb terms. The results clearly indicate a collective behavior of the isovector pairing vibrations and do not support any appreciable collectivity in the isoscalar channel.Comment: RevTeX, two-column, 5 pages, 4 figure

Evidence for Shape Co-existence at medium spin in 76Rb

Four previously known rotational bands in 76Rb have been extended to moderate spins using the Gammasphere and Microball gamma ray and charged particle detector arrays and the 40Ca(40Ca,3pn) reaction at a beam energy of 165 MeV. The properties of two of the negative-parity bands can only readily be interpreted in terms of the highly successful Cranked Nilsson-Strutinsky model calculations if they have the same configuration in terms of the number of g9/2 particles, but they result from different nuclear shapes (one near-oblate and the other near-prolate). These data appear to constitute a unique example of shape co-existing structures at medium spins.Comment: Accepted for publication in Physics Letters

Highly deformed 40^{40}Ca configurations in 28^{28}Si + 12^{12}C

The possible occurrence of highly deformed configurations in the $^{40}$Ca di-nuclear system formed in the $^{28}$Si + $^{12}$C reaction is investigated by analyzing the spectra of emitted light charged particles. Both inclusive and exclusive measurements of the heavy fragments (A $\geq$ 10) and their associated light charged particles (protons and $\alpha$ particles) have been made at the IReS Strasbourg {\sc VIVITRON} Tandem facility at bombarding energies of $E_{lab} (^{28}$Si) = 112 MeV and 180 MeV by using the {\sc ICARE} charged particle multidetector array. The energy spectra, velocity distributions, and both in-plane and out-of-plane angular correlations of light charged particles are compared to statistical-model calculations using a consistent set of parameters with spin-dependent level densities. The analysis suggests the onset of large nuclear deformation in $^{40}$Ca at high spin.Comment: 33 pages, 11 figure

Half-lives of neutron-rich Cd 128-130

R. Dunlop et al. ; 6 págs.; 7 figs.; 1 tab. ; Rapid CommunicationsThe β-decay half-lives of Cd128-130 have been measured with the newly commissioned GRIFFIN γ-ray spectrometer at the TRIUMF-ISAC facility. The time structures of the most intense γ rays emitted following the β decay were used to determine the half-lives of Cd128 and Cd130 to be T1/2=246.2(21) ms and T1/2=126(4) ms, respectively. The half-lives of the 3/2+ and 11/2- states of Cd129 were measured to be T1/2(3/2+)=157(8) ms and T1/2(11/2-)=147(3) ms. The half-lives of the Cd isotopes around the N=82 shell closure are an important ingredient in astrophysical simulations to derive the magnitude of the second r-process abundance peak in the A∼130 region. Our new results are compared with recent literature values and theoretical calculations. ©2016 American Physical SocietyThis work has been partially supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Canada Research Chairs Program. I.D. and R.C.-F. are supported by NSERC Discovery Grants SAPIN-2014-00028 and RGPAS 462257-2014. A.J. acknowledges financial support by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación under contract FPA2011-29854-C04 and the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad under contract FPA2014- 57196-C5-4-P. S.L.T acknowledges financial support from the U.S. National Science Foundation under contract NSF- 14-01574. E.P.-R. acknowledges financial support from the DGAPA-UNAM under the PASPA program. The GRIFFIN spectrometer was funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation, TRIUMF, and the University of Guelph. TRIUMF receives federal funding via a contribution agreement with the National Research Council of Canada.Peer Reviewe

Chronic tooth pulp inflammation induces persistent expression of phosphorylated ERK (pERK) and phosphorylated p38 (pp38) in trigeminal subnucleus caudalis

Background: Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase are transiently phosphorylated (activated) in the spinal cord and trigeminal nucleus by acute noxious stimuli. Acute stimulation of dental pulp induces short-lived ERK activation in trigeminal subnucleus caudalis (Vc), and p38 inhibition attenuates short-term sensitization in Vc induced by acute pulpal stimulation. We have developed a model to study central changes following chronic inflammation of dental pulp that induces long-term sensitization. Here, we examine the effects of chronic inflammation and acute stimulation on the expression of phosphorylated ERK (pERK), phosphorylated p38 (pp38) and Fos in Vc. Results: Chronic inflammation alone induced bilateral expression of pERK and pp38 in Vc, but did not induce Fos expression. Stimulation of both non-inflamed and inflamed pulps significantly increased pERK and pp38 bilaterally; expression was greatest in inflamed, stimulated animals, and was similar following 10-min and 60-min stimulation. Stimulation for 60 min, but not 10 min, induced Fos in ipsilateral Vc; Fos expression was significantly greater in inflamed, stimulated animals. pERK was present in both neurons and astrocytes; pp38 was present in neurons and other non-neuronal, non-astrocytic cell types. Conclusions: This study provides the first demonstration that chronic inflammation of tooth pulp induces persistent bilateral activation of ERK and p38 within Vc, and that this activation is further increased by acute stimulation. This altered activity in intracellular signaling is likely to be linked to the sensitization that is seen in our animal model and in patients with pulpitis. Our data indicate that pERK and pp38 are more accurate markers of central change than Fos expression. In our model, localization of pERK and pp38 within specific cell types differs from that seen following acute stimulation. This may indicate specific roles for different cell types in the induction and maintenance of pulpitic and other types of pain

Cranked Relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov Theory: Superdeformed Bands in the A∼190A\sim 190 Region

Cranked Relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov (CRHB) theory is presented as an extension of Relativistic Mean Field theory with pairing correlations to the rotating frame. Pairing correlations are taken into account by a finite range two-body force of Gogny type and approximate particle number projection is performed by Lipkin-Nogami method. This theory is applied to the description of yrast superdeformed rotational bands observed in even-even nuclei of the $A\sim 190$ mass region. Using the well established parameter sets NL1 for the Lagrangian and D1S for the pairing force one obtains a very successful description of data such as kinematic ($J^{(1)}$) and dynamic ($J^{(2)}$) moments of inertia without any adjustment of new parameters. Within the present experimental accuracy the calculated transition quadrupole moments $Q_t$ agree reasonably well with the observed data.Comment: 6 pages including 4 PostScript figures, uses RevTex, revised version, Phys.Rev. C, Rapid Communications, in pres

Deformation effects in 56^{56}Ni nuclei produced in 28^{28}Si+28^{28}Si at 112 MeV

Velocity and energy spectra of the light charged particles (protons and $\alpha$-particles) emitted in the $^{28}$Si(E$_{lab}$ = 112 MeV) + $^{28}$Si reaction have been measured at the Strasbourg VIVITRON Tandem facility. The ICARE charged particle multidetector array was used to obtain exclusive spectra of the light particles in the angular range 15 - 150 degree and to determine the angular correlations of these particles with respect to the emission angles of the evaporation residues. The experimental data are analysed in the framework of the statistical model. The exclusive energy spectra of $\alpha$-particles emitted from the $^{28}$Si + $^{28}$Si compound system are generally well reproduced by Monte Carlo calculations using spin-dependent level densities. This spin dependence approach suggests the onset of large deformations at high spin. A re-analysis of previous $\alpha$-particle data from the $^{30}$Si + $^{30}$Si compound system, using the same spin-dependent parametrization, is also presented in the framework of a general discussion of the occurrence of large deformation effects in the A$_{CN}$ ~ 60 mass region.Comment: 25 pages, 6 figure

The T=0 neutron-proton pairing correlations in the superdeformed rotational bands around 60Zn

The superdeformed bands in 58Cu, 59Cu, 60Zn, and 61Zn are analyzed within the frameworks of the Skyrme-Hartree-Fock as well as Strutinsky-Woods-Saxon total routhian surface methods with and without the T=1 pairing correlations. It is shown that a consistent description within these standard approaches cannot be achieved. A T=0 neutron-proton pairing configuration mixing of signature-separated bands in 60Zn is suggested as a possible solution to the problem.Comment: 9 ReVTex pages, 10 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Volume element structure and roton-maxon-phonon excitations in superfluid helium beyond the Gross-Pitaevskii approximation

We propose a theory which deals with the structure and interactions of volume elements in liquid helium II. The approach consists of two nested models linked via parametric space. The short-wavelength part describes the interior structure of the fluid element using a non-perturbative approach based on the logarithmic wave equation; it suggests the Gaussian-like behaviour of the element's interior density and interparticle interaction potential. The long-wavelength part is the quantum many-body theory of such elements which deals with their dynamics and interactions. Our approach leads to a unified description of the phonon, maxon and roton excitations, and has noteworthy agreement with experiment: with one essential parameter to fit we reproduce at high accuracy not only the roton minimum but also the neighboring local maximum as well as the sound velocity and structure factor.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure