G. Benzoni

One- and two-phonon wobbling excitations in triaxial 165Lu

High-spin states in Lu-165 have been investigated by in-beam gamma-ray coincidence spectroscopy using the EUROBALL spectrometer array. Two new excited rotational bands have been discovered with features similar to a previously known triaxial superdeformed band in that nucleus. Comparison of the decay pattern of these bands, in particular the unusually large E2 transition strength from the first excited to the yrast superdeformed band, to theoretical calculations shows that they belong to a family of wobbling excitations with phonon numbers n(w) = 0, 1 and 2. These results, together with evidence for nuclear wobbling in the neighbouring isotopes Lu-163 and Lu-167, firmly establish this mode of excitation in the A = 165 mass region. The observation of wobbling is a unique signature of stable nuclear triaxiality

Evidence for the Jacobi shape transition in hot46Ti

The gamma-rays from the decay of the GDR in 46Ti compound nucleus formed in the 18O+28Si reaction at bombarding energy 105 MeV have been measured in an experiment using a setup consisting of the combined EUROBALL IV, HECTOR and EUCLIDES arrays. A comparison of the extracted GDR lineshape data with the predictions of the thermal shape fluctuation model shows evidence for the Jacobi shape transition in hot 46Ti. In addition to the previously found broad structure in the GDR lineshape region at 18-27 MeV caused by large deformations, the presence of a low energy component (around 10 MeV), due to the Coriolis splitting in prolate well deformed shape, has been identified for the first time.

94β -Decay Half-Lives of Neutron-Rich Cs55 to Ho67 : Experimental Feedback and Evaluation of the r -Process Rare-Earth Peak Formation

The β-decay half-lives of 94 neutron-rich nuclei ^{144-151}Cs, ^{146-154}Ba, ^{148-156}La, ^{150-158}Ce, ^{153-160}Pr, ^{156-162}Nd, ^{159-163}Pm, ^{160-166}Sm, ^{161-168}Eu, ^{165-170}Gd, ^{166-172}Tb, ^{169-173}Dy, ^{172-175}Ho, and two isomeric states ^{174m}Er, ^{172m}Dy were measured at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory, providing a new experimental basis to test theoretical models. Strikingly large drops of β-decay half-lives are observed at neutron-number N=97 for _{58}Ce, _{59}Pr, _{60}Nd, and _{62}Sm, and N=105 for _{63}Eu, _{64}Gd, _{65}Tb, and _{66}Dy. Features in the data mirror the interplay between pairing effects and microscopic structure. r-process network calculations performed for a range of mass models and astrophysical conditions show that the 57 half-lives measured for the first time play an important role in shaping the abundance pattern of rare-earth elements in the solar system.

Quantum tunneling of the excited rotational bands in the superdeformed nucleus 143Eu

The properties of the thermally excited rotational motion up to the region of rotational damping are studied experimentally in the superdeformed nucleus 143 Eu. The effective lifetime of the excited discrete rotational bands forming ridge structures in ‐ matrices is measured at the EUROBALL array using the DSAM technique, giving a quadrupole momentQt 10 e b, consistent with the deformation of the superdeformed yrast band. In addition, the effective number of excited superdeformed bands is extracted by a statistical analysis of the ridge structure, for transition energies down to the region where the effect of the decay-out into the normal deformed well shows up. The experimental data are compared with microscopic cranked shell model calculations including a residual interaction of surface delta type. Satisfactory agreement between data and theory is obtained when the quantum tunneling of the excited superdeformed states is included in the model.

β-decay of neutron-rich Z∼60 nuclei and the origin of rare earth elements

A large fraction of the rare-earth elements observed in the solar system is produced in the astrophysical rapid neutron capture process (r-process). However, current stellar models cannot completely explain the relative abundance of these elements partially because of nuclear physics uncertainties. To address this problem, a β-decay spectroscopy experiment was performed at RI Beam Factory (RIBF) at RIKEN, aimed at studying a wide range of very neutron-rich nuclei with Z∼60 that are progenitors of the rare-earth elements with mass number A∼460. The experiment provides a test of nuclear models as well as experimental inputs for r-process calculations. This contribution presents the experimental setup and some preliminary results of the experiment.

Probing the Order-to-Chaos Region in Superdeformed {sup 151}Tb and {sup 196}Pb Nuclei with Continuum {gamma} Transitions

The gamma decay associated with the warm rotation of the superdeformed nuclei 151Tb and 196Pb has been measured with the EUROBALL IV array. Several independent quantities provide a stringent test of the population and decay dynamics in the superdeformed well. A Monte Carlo simulation of the gamma decay based on microscopic calculations gives remarkable agreement with the data only assuming a large enhancement of the B(E1) strength for 1-2 MeV gamma rays, which may be related to the evidence for octupole vibrations in both mass regions.

Search for the Jacobi shape transition in light nuclei

Abstract.The

Neutron-deficient N≈126 nuclei produced in 238U fragmentation: Population of high-spin states

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New isomer in 96Y marking the onset of deformation at N = 57

-rays following the reaction 105 MeV 18O + 28Si have been measured using the EUROBALL IV, HECTOR and EUCLIDES arrays in order to investigate the predicted Jacobi shape transition. The high-energy

Status and results from the decay spectroscopy project EURICA (Euroball-RIKEN cluster array)

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