Neutron Halo Nuclei

In light nuclei close to the neutron drip-line a spatially extended neutron distribution, the neutron, halo occurs. This is due to the relatively small binding energy of the last neutrons which makes possible quantum mechanical tunnelling of the last neutron(s) far away from the nuclear core. There are two main paths in the experimental study of the structure of these nuclei: reactions with radioactive nuclear beams and beta-decays. In reaction studies the momentum distributions from the fragments of reactions between halo nuclei and targets are studied. Results from measurements of (mainly) neutrons from the break-up of the two-neutron halo nucleus 11Li and 11Be with a single neutron halo are presented here. For 11Li data from reactions at 29 MeV/B on three different targets Be, Ni and Au are shown. All the angular distributions of the neutrons are narrow. In reactions of 41 MeV/B 11Be it is clearly seen that different reaction mechanisms are present for different charge of the target. For low Z targets nuclear dissociation reactions dominate yielding board neutron distributions. For targets with high proton number the main contributions is Coulomb dissociation, giving narrow angular distributions. A systematic trend in the .beta.-decay of drip-line nuclei is very large beta-feeding to highly excited states in the daughter nuclei. When states above the separation energy of one or several nucleons are fed, beta-delayed particle emission will occur. Energy spectra of .beta.-delayed particles are analysed to yield information about nuclear structure. In this work is presented experimental data about beta-delayed charged particles, emitted in the decays of 6,8He and 11Li. In the decay of 6He .beta.-delayed deuteron emission was identified for the first time. For 8He and 11Li new data concerning the triton branching ratios are presented. It is also shown that there could be a branch of. beta.-delayed deuterons present in the decay of 11Li , which might be interpreted as the peripheral beta-decay of the two neutron halo

Neutron Halo Nuclei

In light nuclei close to the neutron drip-line a spatially extended neutron distribution, the neutron, halo occurs. This is due to the relatively small binding energy of the last neutrons which makes possible quantum mechanical tunnelling of the last neutron(s) far away from the nuclear core. There are two main paths in the experimental study of the structure of these nuclei: reactions with radioactive nuclear beams and beta-decays. <p> In reaction studies the momentum distributions from the fragments of reactions between halo nuclei and targets are studied. Results from measurements of (mainly) neutrons from the break-up of the two-neutron halo nucleus ¹¹Li and ¹¹Be with a single neutron halo are presented here. For ¹¹Li data from reactions at 29 MeV/B on three different targets Be, Ni and Au are shown. All the angular distributions of the neutrons are narrow. In reactions of 41 MeV/B ¹¹Be it is clearly seen that different reaction mechanisms are present for different charge of the target. For low Z targets nuclear dissociation reactions dominate yielding board neutron distributions. For targets with high proton number the main contributions is Coulomb dissociation, giving narrow angular distributions. <p> A systematic trend in the .beta.-decay of drip-line nuclei is very large beta-feeding to highly excited states in the daughter nuclei. When states above the separation energy of one or several nucleons are fed, beta-delayed particle emission will occur. Energy spectra of .beta.-delayed particles are analysed to yield information about nuclear structure. In this work is presented experimental data about beta-delayed charged particles, emitted in the decays of ^6,8He and ¹¹Li. In the decay of ⁶He .beta.-delayed deuteron emission was identified for the first time. For ⁸He and ¹¹Li new data concerning the triton branching ratios are presented. It is also shown that there could be a branch of. beta.-delayed deuterons present in the decay of ¹¹Li , which might be interpreted as the peripheral beta-decay of the two neutron halo

Study of Charged-Particles Emitted in the Beta-Decay of He-6,He-8

The beta-delayed charged particle spectra from He-6 and He-8 were measured with a telescope consisting of a gas counter and a Si surface barrier detector. Beta-delayed deuterons and tritons are emitted in the two cases with branching ratios of (7.6 +/- 0.6) x 10(-6), E(d) > 350 keV and (8.0 +/- 0.5) x 10(-3), respectively. Both spectra present anomalies that must be due to the special structure of these nuclei (an alpha core surrounded by several neutrons)

Observation of the Li-11(beta d) decay

Experimental data from the decay of Li-11 show for the first time the presence of beta-delayed deuterons with a branching ratio larger than 10(-4). To distinguish between beta d and beta t events the decays of the daughter nuclei Li-9 and Li-8 were identified in the energy and decay time spectra. Furthermore, a time correlation analysis between the beta d events and the subsequent daughter decays was performed

Observation of the Li-11(beta d) decay

Experimental data from the decay of Li-11 show for the first time the presence of beta-delayed deuterons with a branching ratio larger than 10(-4). To distinguish between beta d and beta t events the decays of the daughter nuclei Li-9 and Li-8 were identified in the energy and decay time spectra. Furthermore, a time correlation analysis between the beta d events and the subsequent daughter decays was performed

News on beta delayed particle emission from Be-14

Beta delayed charged particles from Be-14 have been measured and give an upper limit on beta delayed alpha particles of B(betaalpha)<6.7x10(-5) and a tentative branching ratio on beta delayed tritons of 7.5x10(-5)<B(betat)<3.9x10(-4). We combine the knowledge on beta delayed particles from Be-14 to deduce information on the beta strength distribution

News on beta delayed particle emission from Be-14

Beta delayed charged particles from Be-14 have been measured and give an upper limit on beta delayed alpha particles of B(betaalpha

Large asymmetry in the strongest beta-transition for A=9

A new measurement of the beta-decay of Li-9 has clarified the feeding to the highest accessible states in Be-9. It is found that the P-decay mainly populates the 11.8 MeV state, whose spin is determined as 5/2(-). The extracted B-GT value of 5.3(0.9) is a factor 4.4(1.0) larger than that of the mirror transition from C-9. A theoretical explanation of such a pronounced beta-decay asymmetry is presently lacking. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

beta-decay studies of Sn135-137 using selective resonance laser ionization techniques

The decays of the very neutron rich Sn isotopes Sn135-137 were studied at CERN/ISOLDE using isotopic and isobaric selectivity achieved by the use of a resonance ionization laser ion source and mass spectroscopy, respectively. Neutron decay rates, gamma-ray singles, and gamma-gamma coincidence data were collected as a function of time. The half-life (T-1/2) and delayed neutron emission probability (P-n) values of 135 Sn were measured to be 530(20) ms and 21(3)%, respectively. For Sn-136, a T-1/2 of 250(30) ms was determined along with a P-n value of 30(5)%. For Sn-137, a T-1/2 of 190(60) ms and a P-n value of 58(15)% were deduced. Identification of low-energy transitions in Sb-135 was made possible by comparison of laser-on and laser-off gamma-ray spectra. Those data combined with gamma-gamma coincidence spectra were used to construct a level scheme for Sb-135 that includes an unexpectedly low first excited state at 282 keV. A ground state beta branch of 33.2% was measured by following the growth and decay of the Sb-135 daughter. Shell-model calculations are consistent with the observed Sb-135 level structure and can account for a lowered first excited state