A. Honkanen

The β2p decay mechanism of 31Ar

Abstract We have measured the beta-decay of 31 Ar with a high granularity setup sensitive to multiparticle decay branches. Two-proton emission is observed from the isobaric analog state in 31 Cl to the four lowest states in 29 P and furthermore from a large number of states fed in Gamow–Teller transitions. The mechanism of two-proton emission is studied via energy and angular correlations between the two protons. In all cases the mechanism is found to be sequential yielding information about states in 30 S up to 8 MeV excitation energy. Improved data on the β -delayed one-proton branches together with the two-proton data provide precise information about the beta-strength distribution up to 15 MeV excitation energy.

Beta decay of 31Ar

Abstract A complete study of 31 Ar beta decay has been made by high-resolution charged-particle and gamma-ray spectroscopy. Beta-delayed radiation was detected by an array of three charged-particle detectors and a large-volume germanium detector. Fifteen new energy levels were discovered in 31 Cl. The beta-strength distribution, measured to 14.5 MeV, is compared with a shell-model calculation in the full sd space. The quenching of the Gamow-Teller strength and the isospin impurity of the IAS in 31 Cl are discussed.

Status report of the Jyvaskyla ion guide isotope separator on-line facility

The ion guide isotope separator facility IGISOL of the University of Jyvaskyla has been moved to the new K-130 heavy ion cyclotron laboratory. The totally reconstructed facility is described in detail. The primary beams and targets, helium pumping, separator beam line construction and separator beam diagnostics are discussed. The spectroscopy stations are introduced with illustrative examples from the research program, including beta-delayed proton and neutron spectroscopy, gamma-ray spectroscopy with and without arrays, conversion electron spectroscopy, collinear laser spectroscopy and nuclear level lifetime spectroscopy.

β-delayed neutron decay of 104Y, 112Tc, 113Tc and 114Tc: test of half-life predictions for neutron-rich isotopes of refractory elements

Abstract Beta-decay gross properties of neutron-rich isotopes 104Y and 112,113,114Tc produced in 25 MeV proton-induced fission of 238U have been measured. Decays of 104Y with a half-life of 180±60 ms and of 114Tc with a half-life of 150±30 ms are reported for the first time. Beta-delayed neutron emission probabilities of 112,113,114Tc are determined as (1.5±0.2)%, (2.1±0.3)% and (1.3±0.4)%, respectively. Comparison of the observed Pn values with a recent theoretical calculation based on deformed quasiparticle random phase approximation (QRPA) shows good overall agreement for Tc isotopes. However, comparison of beta-decay half-lives of neutron-rich isotopes of Y to Rh with the QRPA model and the refined gross theory shows only modest agreement, pointing to inadequate treatment of structure of these very neutron-rich nuclei lying in a region of rapidly changing deformation.

High-resolution study of the beta decay of 41Ti

Abstract An improved high-resolution study of the beta decay of 41 Ti, produced in the 40 Ca( 3 He, 2n) reaction at 40 MeV, has been performed at the Ion Guide Isotope Separator On-Line (IGISOL) facility. The beta-delayed radiation was detected by a low-energy charged-particle detector and a large Ge detector for gamma rays. The experimental beta-decay strength and its distribution, extracted from delayed-proton data, are compared with results of shell-model calculations in the sdfp space. The lowest J π = 3 2 + , T = 3 2 state in 41 Sc, the isobaric analogue state of the 41 Ti ground state, is estimated to contain 10% isospin impurity.

Superasymmetric fission at intermediate energy and production of neutron-rich nuclei with A < 80

Abstract The yields of neutron-rich Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga and Ge-isotopes were measured in 25 MeV proton induced fission of 238 U using the ion guide-based isotope separator technique. The results indicate enhancement for superasymmetric mass division at intermediate excitation energy of the fissioning nucleus and show the potential of this reaction for the production of neutron-rich exotic nuclei around Z = 28.

TWO-PROTON EMISSION IN THE DECAY OF 31AR

Several beta-delayed two-proton branches were observed in the decay of Ar-31, the most intense ones proceeding through the isobaric analogue state (IAS) in Cl-31. The mechanism of the two-proton emission is studied via the energy and angular distributions of the two protons, Simultaneous emission of the two protons fits the present data well, sequential decays might also describe them. Independent of the decay mechanism, a spin of 5/2 for the IAS is suggested, An improved limit on the direct two-proton emission fi om the ground state of Ar-31 is presented, (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.

Improved ion guide for heavy-ion fusion–evaporation reactions

The ion guide for heavy-ion-induced reactions developed originally for the SARA facility in Grenoble has been implemented at the Jyvaskyla IGISOL facility. For the Cd-116(Ar-40, 6n)Dy-150 reaction an efficiency of 0.5% relative to the number of reaction products entering the stopping chamber was obtained. This is 3.5 times higher than previously obtained at SARA and corresponds to a yield of about 100 ions/(p mu C mb). Mass-separated yields for the Ar-36 + Mo-92 and Ar-36 + Mo-94 reactions were measured

Determination of the spin of 31Ar

Abstract The beta-delayed proton emission from the lightest Ar-isotopes has been recorded with a high-granularity, large solid-angle Si-detector set-up. Proton energy shifts due to beta-recoil have been measured. We demonstrate how this allows the spin of 31 Ar to be determined as 5/2. The method can be applied at decay rates as low as 1 s −1 .

Gas-silicon detector telescope for charged particle spectroscopy

Abstract A gas-silicon detector telescope for charged particle spectroscopy has been constructed and tested. The lower detection limits were determined to be 155 keV for protons, 180 keV for deuterons and 350 keV for alpha particles. Typical energy resolution of the telescope measured for beta-delayed protons is 20 keV. Time resolution for the signals of the telescope was measured to be less than 10 ns. Examples of using the detector telescope in detection of beta-delayed proton activities are presented.