First identification of large electric monopole strength in well-deformed rare earth nuclei

Excited states in the well-deformed rare earth isotopes $^{154}$Sm and $^{166}$Er were populated via ``safe'' Coulomb excitation at the Munich MLL Tandem accelerator. Conversion electrons were registered in a cooled Si(Li) detector in conjunction with a magnetic transport and filter system, the Mini-Orange spectrometer. For the first excited $0^+$ state in $^{154}$Sm at 1099 keV a large value of the monopole strength for the transition to the ground state of $\rho^2(\text{E0}; 0^+_2 \to 0^+_\text{g}) = 96(42)\cdot 10^{-3}$ could be extracted. This confirms the interpretation of the lowest excited $0^+$ state in $^{154}$Sm as the collective $\beta$-vibrational excitation of the ground state. In $^{166}$Er the measured large electric monopole strength of $\rho^2(\text{E0}; 0^+_4 \to 0^+_1) = 127(60)\cdot 10^{-3}$ clearly identifies the $0_4^+$ state at 1934 keV to be the $\beta$-vibrational excitation of the ground state.Comment: submitted to Physics Letters

Transfer reactions on neutron-rich nuclei at REX-ISOLDE

We report on one- and two-neutron transfer reactions to study the single-particle properties of nuclei at the border of the "island of inversion". The (d,p)- and (t,p)-reactions in inverse kinematics on the neutron-rich isotope Mg-30, delivered as radioactive beam by the REX-ISOLDE facility, have been investigated. The outgoing protons have been detected and identified by a newly built array of Si detectors. The gamma-decay of excited states has been detected in coincidence by the MINIBALL array. First results for Mg-31 and from the search for the second, spherical, 0(+) state in Mg-32 are presented

Transfer reactions on neutron-rich nuclei at REX-ISOLDE

We report on one- and two-neutron transfer reactions to study the single-particle properties of nuclei at the border of the "island of inversion". The (d,p)- and (t,p)-reactions in inverse kinematics on the neutron-rich isotope 30Mg, delivered as radioactive beam by the REX-ISOLDE facility, have been investigated. The outgoing protons have been detected and identified by a newly built array of Si detectors. The y-decay of excited states has been detected in coincidence by the MINIBALL array. First results for 31Mg and from the search for the second, spherical, 0+ state in 32Mg are presented