N. Cooper

Classical-NOVA CONTRIBUTION to the Milky Way's ²⁶Al abundance: exit channel of the key ²⁵Al(p,γ) ²⁶Si resonance.

Classical novae are expected to contribute to the 1809-keV Galactic γ-ray emission by producing its precursor 26Al, but the yield depends on the thermonuclear rate of the unmeasured 25Al(p,γ)26Si reaction. Using the β decay of 26P to populate the key J(π)=3(+) resonance in this reaction, we report the first evidence for the observation of its exit channel via a 1741.6±0.6(stat)±0.3(syst)  keV primary γ ray, where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. By combining the measured γ-ray energy and intensity with other experimental data on 26Si, we find the center-of-mass energy and strength of the resonance to be E(r)=414.9±0.6(stat)±0.3(syst)±0.6(lit.)  keV and ωγ=23±6(stat)(-10)(+11)(lit.)  meV, respectively, where the last uncertainties are from adopted literature data. We use hydrodynamic nova simulations to model 26Al production showing that these measurements effectively eliminate the dominant experimental nuclear-physics uncertainty and we estimate that novae may contribute up to 30% of the Galactic 26Al.

Evidence for shape coexistence in 98 Mo

Mo, arising from a proton intruder con gu-ration. This result is reproduced by a theoretical calculation within the proton-neutron interactingboson model with con guration mixing, based on microscopic energy density functional theory. Themicroscopic calculation indicates the importance of the proton particle-hole excitation across theZ= 40 sub-shell closure and the subsequent mixing between spherical vibrational and the -softequilibrium shapes in

Mixed-symmetry octupole and hexadecapole excitations in the N = 52 isotones

Background: Excitations with mixed proton-neutron symmetry have been previously observed in the N=52 isotones. Besides the well-established quadrupole mixed-symmetry states (MSS), octupole and hexadecapole MSS have been recently proposed for the nuclei Zr92 and Mo94. Purpose: The heaviest stable N=52 isotone Ru96 was investigated to study the evolution of octupole and hexadecapole MSS with increasing proton number. Methods: Two inelastic proton-scattering experiments on Ru96 were performed to extract branching ratios, multipole mixing ratios, and level lifetimes. From the combined data, absolute transition strengths were calculated. Results: Strong M1 transitions between the lowest-lying 3- and 4+ states were observed, providing evidence for a one-phonon mixed-symmetry character of the 32(-) and 42+ states. Conclusions: sdg-IBM-2 calculations were performed for Ru96. The results are in excellent agreement with the experimental data, pointing out a one-phonon hexadecapole mixed-symmetry character of the 42+ state. The 31-||M1||32(-) matrix element is found to scale with the 2s+||M1||2ms+ matrix element.

The high-efficiency γ-ray spectroscopy setup γ3 at HIγS

The existing Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence (NRF) setup at the HI{\gamma}S facility at the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory at Duke University has been extended in order to perform {\gamma}-{\gamma} coincidence experiments. The new setup combines large volume LaBr3:Ce detectors and high resolution HPGe detectors in a very close geometry to offer high efficiency, high energy resolution as well as high count rate capabilities at the same time. The combination of a highly efficient {\gamma}-ray spectroscopy setup with the mono-energetic high-intensity photon beam of HI{\gamma}S provides a worldwide unique experimental facility to investigate the {\gamma}-decay pattern of dipole excitations in atomic nuclei. The performance of the new setup has been assessed by studying the nucleus \sulfur at 8.125 MeV beam energy. The {\gamma}-decay branching ratio from the

Beta-delayed gamma decay of 26P: Possible evidence of a proton halo

1^+

Investigation of octupole vibrational states in 150 Nd via inelastic proton scattering (p,p 'gamma)

level at 8125.4 keV to the first excited

Confirmation of the isomeric state in P 26

2^+

Observation of Doppler broadening in β -delayed proton- γ decay

state was determined to 15.7(3)%.

Study of mixed-symmetry excitations in 96Ru via inelastic proton-scattering

Background: Measurements of

Observation of Doppler broadening inβ-delayed proton-γdecay

\beta