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We show that the collectivity of the particle-hole wave function of low-lying octupole 3^{−} states in doubly magic nuclei is mainly due to the neutron-proton interaction. Both the enhanced reduced transition probability to the ground state, B(E3;3_{1}^{−}→0_{1}^{+}), and the coupling of the octupole excitation to a nucleon result from the coherent action of all the components of the collective state. The results obtained with a realistic shell-model interaction both for ^{208}Pb and for ^{209}Pb agree with the geometric collective model of Bohr and Mottelson, where octupole excitations are associated with phonons corresponding to collective shape oscillations of the surface of the nucleus.

A lifetime measurement of the 19/2− state in 207Pb has been performed using the Recoil Distance Doppler-Shift (RDDS) method. The nuclei of interest were produced in multi-nucleon transfer reactions induced by a 208Pb beam impinging on a 100Mo enriched target. The beam-like nuclei were detected and identified in terms of their atomic mass number in the VAMOS++ spectrometer while the prompt γ rays were detected by the AGATA tracking array. The measured large reduced transition probability B(E3,19/2−→13/2+)=40(8) W.u. is the first indication of the octupole phonon at high spin in 207Pb. An analysis in terms of a particle-octupole-vibration coupling model indicates that the measured B(E3) value in 207Pb is compatible with the contributions from single-phonon and single particle E3 as well as E3 strength arising from the double-octupole-phonon 6+ state, all adding coherently. A crucial aspect of the coupling model, namely the strong mixing between single-hole and the phonon-hole states, is confirmed in a realistic shell-model calculation. Keywords: AGATA spectrometer, γ-Ray tracking, VAMOS++ spectrometer, Plunger device, Nuclear deformation, Octupole phonon

The low-lying high-spin yrast band structure of neutron-rich 113,118–121Ag has been established for the first time using prompt γ-ray spectroscopy of isotopically identified fission fragments produced in the 9Be(238U, fγ) fusion- and transfer-induced fission processes. The newly obtained level energies follow the systematics of the neighboring isotopes. The sequences of levels exhibit an energy inheritance from states in the corresponding Cd core. A striking constancy of a large signature splitting in odd-A Ag throughout the long chain of isotopes with 50

The rotational response as a function of neutron–proton asymmetry for the very neutron-rich isotopes of Rh (116–119Rh) has been obtained from the measurement of prompt γ rays from isotopically identified fragments, produced in fission reactions at energies around the Coulomb barrier. The measured energy “signature” splitting of the yrast bands, when compared with the Triaxial Projected Shell Model (TPSM) calculations, shows the need for large, nearly constant, triaxial deformations. The present results are compared with global predictions for the existence of non axial shapes in the periodic table in the case of very neutron-rich nuclei Rh isotopes. The predicted trend of a second local maximum for a triaxial shape around N∼74 is not found.

Low-lying high-spin yrast states in the exotic odd–odd isotopes 124–128Sb (Z=51) and 118–128In (Z=49), studied for the first time, show a striking difference in their observed γ-ray decay. With a single valence proton particle/hole occupying the g7/2/g9/2 spin-orbit partners, dominant electric quadrupole transitions occur in Sb as opposed to magnetic dipole transitions in In. The observed properties are explained on the basis of general principles of symmetry and with large-scale shell-model calculations, and reveal novel aspects of the competition between the neutron–proton interaction and the like-nucleon pairing interaction.