I. Stefan

Collapse of the N=28 shell closure in (42)Si.

The energies of the excited states in very neutron-rich (42)Si and (41,43)P have been measured using in-beam gamma-ray spectroscopy from the fragmentation of secondary beams of (42,44)S at 39A MeV. The low 2(+) energy of (42)Si, 770(19) keV, together with the level schemes of (41,43)P, provides evidence for the disappearance of the Z=14 and N=28 spherical shell closures, which is ascribed mainly to the action of proton-neutron tensor forces. New shell model calculations indicate that (42)Si is best described as a well-deformed oblate rotor.

First observation of 54Zn and its decay by two-proton emission

The nucleus 54Zn has been observed for the first time in an experiment at the SISSI/LISE3 facility of GANIL in the quasifragmentation of a 58Ni beam at 74.5 MeV/nucleon in a (nat)Ni target. The fragments were analyzed by means of the ALPHA-LISE3 separator and implanted in a silicon-strip detector where correlations in space and time between implantation and subsequent decay events allowed us to generate almost background free decay spectra for about 25 different nuclei at the same time. Eight 54Zn implantation events were observed. From the correlated decay events, the half-life of 54Zn is determined to be 3.2(+1.8)(-0.8) ms. Seven of the eight implantations are followed by two-proton emission with a decay energy of 1.48(2) MeV. The decay energy and the partial half-life are compared to model predictions and allow for a test of these two-proton decay models.

Extension of the N = 40 Island of Inversion towards N =50: Spectroscopy of 66Cr,70,72Fe

We report on the measurement of the first 2(+) and 4(+) states of (66)Cr and (70,72)Fe via in-beam γ-ray spectroscopy. The nuclei of interest were produced by (p,2p) reactions at incident energies of 260u2009u2009MeV/nucleon. The experiment was performed at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory, RIKEN, using the DALI 2γ-ray detector array and the novel MINOS device, a thick liquid hydrogen target combined with a vertex tracker. A low-energy plateau of 2(1)(+) and 4(1)(+) energies as a function of the neutron number was observed for N≥38 and N≥40 for even-even Cr and Fe isotopes, respectively. State-of-the-art shell model calculations with a modified Lenzi-Nowacki-Poves-Sieja (LNPS) interaction in the pfg(9/2)d(5/2) valence space reproduce the observations. Interpretation within the shell model shows an extension of the island of inversion at N=40 for more neutron-rich isotopes towards N=50.

First direct lifetime measurement of the 2(1)(+) state in Zn-72,Zn-74 : New evidence for a shape transition between N=40 and N=42 close to Z=28

We report here the first direct lifetime measurement of the 2(1)(+) state in Zn-72,Zn-74. The neutron-rich beam was produced by in-flight fragmentation of Ge-76 at the Grand Accelerateur National dIons Lourds and separated with the LISE spectrometer. The 2(1)(+) state was excited by inelastic scattering and knock-out reaction on a CD2 target and its lifetime was measured by the recoil-distance Doppler-shift method with the Koln plunger device combined with the EXOGAM detectors. The lifetimes of the 2(1)(+) states in Zn-72,Zn-74 were determined to be 17.9(18) and 27.0(24) ps, which correspond to reduced transition probabilities B(E2; 2(1)(+)-> 0(+)) = 385(39) and 370(33) e(2) fm(4), respectively. These values support the idea of a systematic maximum of collectivity at N = 42 for Zn, Ge, and Se nuclei. In addition, the available systematics in the neighboring nuclei point toward a transition from a spherical oscillator at N = 40 to complete gamma-softness at N = 42.

Spectroscopy of 18Na: Bridging the two-proton radioactivity of 19Mg

The unbound nucleus

Nuclear g-factor measurement with time-dependent recoil in vacuum in radioactive-beam geometry

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Study of the neutron rich sulfure isotope 43S through intermediate energy Coulomb excitation

Na, the intermediate nucleus in the two-proton radioactivity of

Study of the 26Al(n,p)26Mg and 26Al(n,α)23Na reactions using the 27Al(p,p')27Al inelastic scattering reaction

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Shape coexistence at N=20 and N=28: Study of 02+ states in 34Si and 44S

Mg, was studied by the measurement of the resonant elastic scattering reaction

β-Decay half-lives of 76,77Co, 79,80Ni, and 81Cu: experimental indication of a doubly magic 78Ni.

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