Evidence for a Smooth Onset of Deformation in the Neutron-Rich Kr Isotopes

Abstract

The neutron-rich nuclei 94;96Kr were studied via projectile Coulomb excitation at the REX-ISOLDE facility at CERN. Level energies of the first excited 2+ states and their absolute E2 transition strengths to the ground state are determined and discussed in the context of the E(2+) and B(E2;2->0) systematics of the krypton chain. Contrary to previously published results no sudden onset of deformation is observed. This experimental result is supported by a new proton-neutron interacting boson model calculation based on the constrained Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov approach using the microscopic Gogny-D1M energy density functional.status: publishe