Lifetimes of the first excited 2(+) states in the extremely neutron- deficient W-162 and W-164 nuclei have been measured using the recoil distance Doppler shift technique. Experimental B(E2) data for the isotopic chains of hafnium, tungsten, and osmium, from the midshell region near the beta-stability line towards the N = 82 closed shell and the most neutron-deficient nuclides, are compared with predictions of nuclear deformations and 2(1)(+) -> 0(g.s)(.+) reduced transition strengths from different classes of state-of-the-art theoretical model calculations. The results reveal striking differences and deficiencies in the predictive power of current nuclear structure models.
Lifetimes of negative-parity states have been determined in the semi-magic (N=50) nucleus 95Rh. The fusion-evaporation reaction 58Ni(40Ca, 3p) was used to populate high-spin states in 95Rh at the Grand Accelerateur National d'Ions Lourds (GANIL) accelerator facility. The results were obtained using the Doppler Shift Attenuation Method (DSAM) based on the Doppler broadened line shapes produced during the slowing down process of the residual nuclei in a thick 6~ mg/cm2 metallic target. B(M1) and B(E2) reduced transition strengths are compared with predictions from large-scale shell-model calculations.
Despite that it is more than 100 years since the atomic nucleus was first dis- covered by Ernest Rutherford and coworkers, many of its features still elude our understanding. The fact that the fundamental interactions between the nuclear constituents; nucleons, and ultimately quarks, are not yet known in detail, and the complexity of the nuclear many-body system compound the great challenges facing theoretical interpretations of experimental data. It is therefore important to focus on distinct phenomena where experimental mea- surements can be compared with theoretical predictions, providing stringent tests of theory. One such area is the nuclear phenomenology of collective excitations related to rotations and vibrations of the nucleus as a whole, and how such modes of excitation may develop from the interactions between a few nucleons occupying single-particle orbits outside closed shells.
This thesis is devoted to experimental studies of excited states in the 99Tc, 162W, and 166Re nuclei. These nuclei lie in “transitional” regions of the Segrè chart, where collective excitation mechanisms start becoming important when adding valence nucleons outside closed neutron and proton shells. Such nuclei are important for testing state-of-the-art theoretical models. The excited states of the nuclei studied in the present work were populated using heavy-ion fusion-evaporation reactions. Prior to the present work, high-spin data were still lacking in 99Tc since in the previous works [1–5] excited states were only populated up to around 3 MeV. Two collective bands have been extended to intermediate angular momentum states in the present work. The experimental results were compared with the systematics of other technetium isotopes, evaluating electromagnetic characteristics based on semiclassical calculations and the particle-rotor model. The 162W and 166Re nuclei are situated in the very neutron-deficient 160-170 mass region, requiring special techniques for identifying their excited-state structures. The level scheme of 162W was first reported by Dracoulis et al. in 1993 [6], where the first excited 2+ state was assigned to be 450 keV above the ground state. However, the lack of selectivity made the γ-ray identification for higher energy levels of 162W uncertain. In this work, the highly selective recoil-decay tagging technique was used to uniquely identify γ-ray transitions from excited states in 162W and to construct its level scheme. In addition, the experimental setup enabled a precise determination of the half-life of the α-decaying ground state of 162W. The α-formation probability for 162W was extracted from the measurement of the half-life and systematical comparisons with the neighboring nuclei were performed. Two rotational-like bands were identified in 166Re for the first time and the lifetimes of the lowest three excited states in band (1) were measured using the recoil distance Doppler shift method. The results were compared with theoretical calculations based on a semiclassical approach, the particle-rotor model, and the tilted axis cranking model in a relativistic mean field approach. The microscopic mechanisms (configuration and alignment, etc) of the rotational bands were interpreted under the framework of total Routhian surface predictions and cranked shell model calculations.
Excited states in the highly neutron-deficient nucleus W-162 have been investigated via the Mo-92(Kr-78, 2 alpha) W-162 reaction. Prompt gamma rays were detected by the JUROGAM II high-purity germanium detector array and the recoiling fusion-evaporation products were separated by the recoil ion transport unit (RITU) gas-filled recoil separator and identified with the gamma recoil electron alpha tagging (GREAT) spectrometer at the focal plane of RITU. gamma rays from W-162 were identified uniquely using mother-daughter and mother-daughter-granddaughter alpha-decay correlations. The observation of a rotational-like ground-state band is interpreted within the framework of total Routhian surface (TRS) calculations, which suggest an axially symmetric ground-state shape with a gamma-soft minimum at beta(2) approximate to 0.15. Quasiparticle alignment effects are discussed based on cranked shell model calculations. New measurements of the W-162 ground-state alpha-decay energy and half-life were also performed. The observed alpha-decay energy agrees with previous measurements. The half-life of W-162 was determined to be t(1/2) = 990(30) ms. This value deviates significantly from the currently adopted value of t(1/2) = 1360(70) ms. In addition, the alpha-decay energy and half-life of Os-166 were measured and found to agree with the adopted values.
Lifetimes of excited states in the neutron-deficient odd-odd nucleus Re-166 have been measured for the first time using the recoil distance Doppler-shift method. The measured lifetime for the (8(-)) state; tau = 480 (80) ps, enabled an assessment of the multipolarities of the gamma rays depopulating this state. Information on electromagnetic transition strengths were deduced for the gamma-ray transitions from the (9(-)), (10(-)), and (11(-)) states, and in the case of the (10(-)) and (11(-)) states limits on the B (M1) and B(E2) strengths were estimated. The results are compared with total Routhian surface predictions and semiclassical calculations. Tilted-axis cranking calculations based on a relativistic mean-field approach (TAC-RMF) have also been performed in order to test the possibility of magnetic rotation in the 166Re nucleus. While the TAC-RMF calculations predict a quadrupole-deformed nuclear shape with similar beta(2) deformation as obtained by using the TRS model, it was found that the experimental electromagnetic transition rates are in better agreement with a collective -rotational description.
Excited states in the odd-odd, highly neutron-deficient nucleus Re-166 have been investigated via the Mo-92(Kr-78, 3p1n)Re-166 reaction. Prompt gamma rays were detected by the JUROGAM II. gamma-ray spectrometer, and the recoiling fusion-evaporation products were separated by the recoil ion transport unit (RITU) gas-filled recoil separator and implanted into the Gamma Recoil Electron Alpha Tagging spectrometer located at the RITU focal plane. The tagging and coincidence techniques were applied to identify the gamma-ray transitions in Re-166, revealing two collective, strongly coupled rotational structures, for the first time. The more strongly populated band structure is assigned to the pi h(11/2)[514]9/2(-) circle times vi(13/2)[660]1/2(+) Nilsson configuration, while the weaker structure is assigned to be built on a two-quasiparticle state of mixed pi h(11/2)[514]9/2(-) circle times v[h(9/2)f(7/2)]3/2(-) character. The configuration assignments are based on the electromagnetic characteristics and rotational properties, in comparison with predictions from total Routhian surface and particle-rotor model calculations.
Excited states in Tc-99 with energies up to 6 MeV have been populated using the Zr-96(Li-7, 4n)Tc-99 reaction with a laboratory beam energy of 35 MeV. Coincident gamma rays from excited nuclei produced in the reactions were detected using an array of coaxial, planar, and clover-type high-purity germanium detectors. A total of 60 new gamma-ray transitions and 21 new levels are identified and placed into a new level scheme. Two collective bands assigned to be built on the pi g(9/2)[422]5/2(+) and pi p(1/2)[301]1/2(-) Nilsson configurations have been extended with spins up to 35/2 and 33/2 h, respectively. Backbending and signature inversion have been observed in the yrast band. The large signature splitting of the positive-parity band in Tc-99 may be caused by a triaxial deformation, which agrees well with the electromagnetic properties, theoretical calculations based on total Routhian surface, and triaxial particle-rotor model calculations.
The high-spin states in the odd-odd Pm-138 nucleus have been reinvestigated via the Te-124(F-19, 5n) reaction at the beam energy of 103MeV. Most of the known transitions and levels are confirmed. A number of bands are revised and one new band has been established. For the yrast pi h(11/2) circle times nu h(11/2) band based on 8(+) state, no evidence supporting the occurence of signature inversion is found. The experimental and theoretical B(M1)/B(E2) ratios have been calculated for band (2), which support the pi g(7/2)[413]5/2(+) circle times nu h(11/2)[514]9/2(-) Nilsson configuration assignment. Four bands with Delta I = 2 transitions are tentatively assigned as doubly decoupled bands. The other three bands are proposed as oblate-triaxial bands. The possible configuration assignments for these bands are also discussed under the calculations of total Routhian surface and particle-rotor model.
The lifetimes of the low-lying excited states 2(+) and 4(+) have been directly measured in the neutron-deficient Sn-106,Sn-108 isotopes. The nuclei were populated via a deep-inelastic reaction and the lifetime measurement was performed employing a differential plunger device. The emitted gamma rays were detected by the AGATA array, while the reaction products were uniquely identified by the VAMOS++ magnetic spectrometer. Large-Scale Shell-Model calculations with realistic forces indicate that, independently of the pairing content of the interaction, the quadrupole force is dominant in the B(E2; 2(1)(+) -> 0(g.s)(+)) values and it describes well the experimental pattern for Sn104-114 ; the B(E2;(+)(4) -> 2(1)(+)) values, measured here for the first time, depend critically on a delicate pairing-quadrupole balance, disclosed by the very precise results in Sn-108.