Ignacio Birriel

Forking and Unusual Decay Out of Superdeformed Bands in 83Zr

Two superdeformed (SD) bands extending over eight to eleven transitions have been identified in Zr-83, The quadrupole moment of the more intense band was determined by the Residual Doppler Shift Method and is consistent with a quadrupole deformation of beta(2) approximate to 0.5. The large quadrupole moment and population intensity of the yrast SD band (approximate to 5%) in Zr isotopes relative to their isotones in Sr and Y nuclei suggest the presence of a large SD shell gap at proton number Z = 40, At the decay-out points, the Routhians of the SD bands reapproach that of the positive parity normally-deformed states which may be the reason why both of these bands feed mainly (approximate to 85%) into the positive-parity yrast band.

Superdeformed Bands in 80Sr and the Evolution of Deformation in Sr Isotopes

Four superdeformed bands are reported in Sr-80, extending known superdeformation in the Sr-38 series down to N = 42. The characteristics of these bands are discussed. Residual Doppler shifts were measured and average transition quadrupole moments (Q(t)) inferred for these new bands, These Q(t) values are compared to Q(t) values obtained for previously identified superdeformed bands in Sr81-83. The low Q(t) of 2.7(-0.6)(+0.7) eb obtained for the yrast band in Sr-80 indicates a reduction in the deformation of yrast superdeformed bands in the series Sr80-83 with decreasing N, and possibly the onset of triaxiality in superdeformed shapes

Band Structure in 79Y and the Question of T=O Pairing

Gamma rays in the N=Z + 1 nucleus Y-79 were identified using the reaction Si-28(Fe-54, p2n)Y-79 at a 200 MeV beam energy and an experimental setup consisting of an array of Ge detectors and the Recoil Mass Spectrometer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. With the help of additional gamma-gamma coincidence data obtained with Gammasphere, these gamma rays were found to form a strongly coupled rotational band with rigid-rotor-like behavior. Results of conventional Nilsson-Strutinsky cranked shell model calculations, which predict a deformation of beta(2)similar to 0.4, are in excellent agreement with the properties of this band. Similar calculations for the neighboring N=Z and N=Z + 1 nuclei are also in good agreement with experimental data. This suggests that the presence of the putative T=0 neutron-proton pairing does not significantly affect such simple observables as the moments of inertia of these bands at low spins. [S0556-2813(98)50612-7].

Band Structure in 79Y and the Question of T=0 Pairing

Excited states in the N = Z+1 nucleus Y-79 Were identified using the reaction Si-28(Fe-54, p2n)Y-79 at a 200 MeV beam energy and an experimental set up consisting of an array of Ge detectors and the Recoil Mass Spectrometer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. With the help of additional gamma-gamma coincidence data obtained with Gammasphere, these gamma-rays were found to form a strongly-coupled rotational band with rigid-rotor-like behavior. Results of conventional Nilsson-Strutinsky cranked shell model calculations, which predict a deformation of beta(2)similar to 0.4, are in excellent agreement with the properties of this band. Similar calculations for the neighboring N = Z and N = Z + 1 nuclei are also in good agreement with experimental data. This suggests that the presence of the putative T = 0 neutron-proton pairing does not significantly affect such simple observables as the moments of inertia of these bands at low spins. (Less)