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Neutron capture cross-section measurements are fundamental in the study of astrophysical phenomena, such as the slow neutron capture (s-) process of nucleosynthesis operating in red-giant and massive stars. However, neutron capture measurements via the time-of-flight (TOF) technique on key $s$-process nuclei are often challenging. Difficulties arise from the limited mass ($\sim$mg) available and the high sample-related background in the case of the unstable $s$-process branching points. Measurements on neutron magic nuclei, that act as $s$-process bottlenecks, are affected by low (n,$γ$) cross sections and a dominant neutron scattering background. Overcoming these experimental challenges requires the combination of facilities with high instantaneous flux, such as n\_TOF-EAR2, with detection systems with an enhanced detection sensitivity and high counting rate capabilities. This contribution reviews some of the latest detector developments in detection systems for (n,$γ$) measurements at n\_TOF, such as i-TED, an innovative detection system which exploits the Compton imaging technique to reduce the dominant neutron scattering background and s-TED, a highly segmented total energy detector intended for high flux facilities. The discussion will be illustrated with results of the first measurement of key the $s$-process branching-point reaction $^{79}$Se(n,$γ$)., 7 pages, 4 figures (8 panels). Accepted for publication in EPJ-WOC (proceedings of the NPA-X conference). arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2301.11199

One of the crucial ingredients for the improvement of stellar models is the accurate knowledge of neutron capture cross-sections for the different isotopes involved in the $s$-,$r$- and $i$- processes. These measurements can shed light on existing discrepancies between observed and predicted isotopic abundances and help to constrain the physical conditions where these reactions take place along different stages of stellar evolution.In the particular case of the radioactive $^{94}$Nb, the $^{94}$Nb($n$,$γ$) cross-section could play a role in the determination of the $s$-process production of $^{94}$Mo in AGB stars, which presently cannot be reproduced by state-of-the-art stellar models. There are no previous $^{94}$Nb($n$,$γ$) experimental data for the resolved and unresolved resonance regions mainly due to the difficulties in producing high-quality samples and also due to limitations in conventional detection systems commonly used in time-of-flight experiments.Motivated by this situation, a first measurement of the $^{94}$Nb($n$,$γ$) reaction was carried out at CERN n\_TOF, thereby exploiting the high luminosity of the EAR2 area in combination with a new detection system of small-volume C6D6-detectors and a high quality $^{94}$Nb-sample. The latter was based on hyper-pure $^{93}$Nb material activated at the high-flux reactor of ILL-Grenoble. An innovative ring-configuration detection system in close geometry around the capture sample allowed us to significantly enhance the signal-to-background ratio. This set-up was supplemented with two conventional C$_{6}$D$_{6}$ detectors and a high-resolution LaCl$_{3}$(Ce)-detector, which will be employed for addressing reliably systematic effects and uncertainties.At the current status of the data analysis, 18 resonance in $^{94}$Nb+$n$ have been observed for the first time in the neutron energy range from thermal up to 10 keV., NPA-X conference proceeding

The use of radioactive molecules for fundamental physics research is a developing interdisciplinary field limited dominantly by their scarce availability. In this work, radioactive molecular ion beams containing actinide nuclei extracted from uranium carbide targets are produced via the Isotope Separation On-Line technique at the CERN-ISOLDE facility. Two methods of molecular beam production are studied: extraction of molecular ion beams from the ion source, and formation of molecular ions from the mass-separated ion beam in a gas-filled radio-frequency quadrupole ion trap. Ion currents of U$^+$, UO$_{1-3}^+$, UC$_{1-3}^+$, UF$_{1-4}^+$, UF$_{1,2}$O$_{1,2}^+$ are reported. Metastable tantalum and uranium fluoride molecular ions are identified. Formation of UO$_{1-3}^+$, U(OH)$_{1-3}^+$, UC$_{1-3}^+$, UF$_{1,2}$O$_{1,2}^+$ from mass-separated beams of U$^+$, UF$_{1,2}^+$ with residual gas is observed in the ion trap. The effect of trapping time on molecular formation is presented., Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures

12 pags., 8 figs., 1 tab., The structure of Ge80 has been investigated at the ISOLDE facility at CERN. A previous study reported for the first time a low-lying 02+ intruder state at 639 keV, based on the coincidence with a previously unobserved 1764-keV γ ray, and suggested it as evidence for shape coexistence in Ge80. We used the β decay from the 3- 22.4-keV state in Ga80 to enhance the population of low-spin states in Ge80, including any excited 0+ level, and γγ coincidences to investigate it. We observed a 1764-keV γ ray in coincidence with strong transitions in Ge80, thus not feeding the proposed 639-keV 02+. No connecting transitions from previously known levels to the 639-keV and 2403-keV 23+ states could be established either. Shell-model calculations for Ge isotopes and N=48 isotones were performed. They succeed to explain most of the experimental levels, but fail to reproduce the presence of a 02+ state below ≈1200 keV in Ge80. Our experimental findings and shell-model calculations are difficult to reconcile with a very low-lying 02+ state in Ge80., This work was supported by Spanish national projects FPA2015-65035-P, RTI2018-098868-B-I00, and PID2019- 104390GB-I00, by Grupo de Física Nuclear (GFN) at Universidad Complutense (Spain), by the U.S. DoE Grant No. DE-FG02-94ER40834, and by the German BMBF Grant 05P19PKFNA. The support by the European Union Seventh Framework through ENSAR (Contract No. 262010) and by the ISOLDE Collaboration and technical teams is acknowledged.

18 pags., 10 figs., 4 tabs., The β- decay of Zn81 to the neutron magic N=50 nucleus Ga81, with only three valence protons with respect to Ni78, was investigated. The study was performed at the ISOLDE facility at CERN by means of γ spectroscopy. The Zn81 half-life was determined to be T1/2=290(4) ms while the β-delayed neutron emission probability was measured as Pn=23(4)%. The analysis of the β-gated γ-ray singles and γ-γ coincidences from the decay of Zn81 provides 47 new levels and 70 new transitions in Ga81. The β-n decay of Zn81 was observed and a new decay scheme into the odd-odd Ga80 nucleus was established. The half-lives of the first and second excited states of Ga81 were measured via the fast-timing method using LaBr3(Ce) detectors. The level scheme and transition rates are compared to large-scale shell-model calculations. The low-lying structure of Ga81 is interpreted in terms of the coupling of the three valence protons outside the doubly magic Ni78 core., This work was supported by the Spanish MINECO through the FPA2015-65035-P and RTI2018-098868-B-I00 projects, by the U.S. DoE Grant No. DE-FG02-94ER40834, by the German BMBF Grant 05P19PKFNA, and Grupo de Física Nuclear (GFN) at UCM. The support by the European Union Seventh Framework through ENSAR (Contract No. 262010) and ISOLDE (CERN) Collaboration is acknowledged. V.P. acknowledges support by the Spanish FPI-BES-2011-045931 grant.

Ambient neutrons may cause significant background for underground experiments. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate their flux and energy spectrum in order to devise a proper shielding. Here, two sets of altogether ten moderated He3 neutron counters are used for a detailed study of the ambient neutron background in tunnel IV of the Felsenkeller facility, underground below 45 m of rock in Dresden/Germany. One of the moderators is lined with lead and thus sensitive to neutrons of energies higher than 10 MeV. For each He3 counter moderator assembly, the energy-dependent neutron sensitivity was calculated with the FLUKA code. The count rates of the ten detectors were then fitted with the MAXED and GRAVEL packages. As a result, both the neutron energy spectrum from 10-9 to 300 MeV and the flux integrated over the same energy range were determined experimentally. The data show that at a given depth, both the flux and the spectrum vary significantly depending on local conditions. Energy-integrated fluxes of (0.61±0.05), (1.96±0.15), and (4.6±0.4)×10-4 cm-2 s-1, respectively, are measured for three sites within Felsenkeller tunnel IV which have similar muon flux but different shielding wall configurations. The integrated neutron flux data and the obtained spectra for the three sites are matched reasonably well by FLUKA Monte Carlo calculations that are based on the known muon flux and composition of the measurement room walls., Financial support by DFG (BE 4100/4-1), the Helmholtz Association (NAVI VH-VI-417 and ERC-RA-0016), the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Grants No. FPA2014-52823-C2, No. FPA2017-83946-C2, No. RTI2018-098868-B-I00, and No. SEV-2014-0398/ program Severo Ochoa), and the COST Association (ChETEC CA16117) is gratefully acknowledged

Neutron capture cross-section measurements are fundamental in the study of astrophysical phenomena, such as the slow neutron capture (s-) process of nucleosynthesis operating in red-giant stars. To enhance the sensitivity of such measurements we have developed the i-TED detector. i-TED is an innovative detection system which exploits the Compton imaging technique with the aim of obtaining information about the incoming direction of the detected γ-rays. The imaging capability allows one to reject a large fraction of the dominant γ-ray background, hence enhancing the (n,γ) detection sensitivity. This work summarizes the main results of the first experimental proof-of-concept of the background rejection with i-TED carried out at CERN n_TOF using an early i-TED demonstrator. Two state-of-the-art C6D6 detectors were also used to benchmark the performance of i-TED. The i-TED prototype built for this study shows a factor of ~3 higher detection sensitivity than C6D6 detectors in the ~10 keV neutron-energy range of astrophysical interest. This works also introduces the perspectives of further enhancement in performance attainable with the final i-TED array and new analysis methodologies based on Machine-Learning techniques. The latter provide higher (n,γ) detection efficiency and similar enhancement in the sensitivity than the analytical method based on the Compton scattering law. Finally, we present our proposal to use this detection system for the first time on key astrophysical (n,γ) measurements, in particular on the s-process branching-point 79Se, which is especially well suited to constrain the thermal conditions of Red Giant and Massive Stars.

© 2019 authors. Published by the American Physical Society. Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI. Hyperfine-structure parameters and isotope shifts for the 795-nm atomic transitions in At217,218,219 have been measured at CERN-ISOLDE, using the in-source resonance-ionization spectroscopy technique. Magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole moments, and changes in the nuclear mean-square charge radii, have been deduced. A large inverse odd-even staggering in radii, which may be associated with the presence of octupole collectivity, has been observed. Namely, the radius of the odd-odd isotope At218 has been found to be larger than the average of its even-N neighbors, At217,219. The discrepancy between the additivity-rule prediction and experimental data for the magnetic moment of At218 also supports the possible presence of octupole collectivity in the considered nuclei. ispartof: Physical Review C vol:99 issue:5 status: published

Delayed γ rays from neutron-rich A=97 fission fragments were measured using the Lohengrin spectrometer at the high-flux reactor of the Institut Laue-Langevin in Grenoble. Several lifetimes of excited states in 97Sr were measured using the fast-timing technique. The nucleus 97Sr exhibits shape coexistence and is located exactly at the border of the spherical (N≤58) and deformed (N≥60) ground-state deformation. It is of particular interest to study the shape-coexisting structures at the spherical-deformed border (N=59). The determined lifetimes within this work are compared to an interacting boson-fermion model calculation that is based on the microscopic energy density functional to provide a better understanding of the spherical-deformed border in strontium isotopes.

© 2018 authors. Published by the American Physical Society. Background: Shell evolution can impact the structure of the nuclei and lead to effects such as shape coexistence. The nuclei around Ni68 represent an excellent study case, however, spectroscopic information of the neutron-rich, Z

The Faculty of Medicine of the Ruhr University Bochum (RUB) introduced a model study course in medicine (MSM) in the winter semester 2003. For 9 consecutive years, 42 out of 280 first year students at the Ruhr University Bochum had the opportunity to begin their studies in the model study course in medicine. The places were allocated amongst the applicants internally through a raffle. The MSM was consistently problem-, practice- and patient-oriented and largely did away with lectures, broke with the distinction between a pre-clinical and clinical phase and tested basic knowledge in equivalent integrated exams focusing on clinical application. Following a comparative evaluation of the standard degree course (RSM) and the MSM, the faculty merged the two degree courses into the Integrated Reformed Medical Curriculum (IRMC), which has been on offer since 2013 and is characterized by a topic-oriented hybrid curriculum. This article examines experiences relating to the origins, conception and introduction of the MSM., Zum Wintersemester 2003 führte die Medizinische Fakultät der Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) den Modellstudiengang Medizin (MSM) ein. Für 9 aufeinanderfolgende Jahrgänge hatten je 42 von 280 StudienanfängerInnen der Ruhr-Universität Bochum die Gelegenheit, ihr Studium im Modellstudiengang Medizin zu beginnen. Die Plätze wurden unter freiwilligen Bewerbungen intern verlost. Der konsequent Problem-, Praxis- und Patientenorientierte MSM verzichtete weitgehend auf Vorlesungen, hob die Trennung von Vorklinik und Klinik auf und prüfte die Grundlagenkenntnisse in äquivalenten, integrierten Prüfungen mit klinischen Anwendungen. Nach vergleichender Auswertung von Regelstudiengang (RSM) und MSM führte die Fakultät die beiden Studiengänge zu dem seit 2013 angebotenen integrierten Reformstudiengang Medizin (iRM) zusammen, der durch ein themenorientiertes Hybridcurriculum gekennzeichnet ist. Dieser Artikel befasst sich mit den Erfahrungen mit der Entstehung, Konzeption und Einführung des Modellstudiengangs Medizin., GMS Journal for Medical Education; 36(5):Doc59

© 2018 authors. Hyperfine-structure parameters and isotope shifts of At195-211 have been measured for the first time at CERN-ISOLDE, using the in-source resonance-ionization spectroscopy method. The hyperfine structures of isotopes were recorded using a triad of experimental techniques for monitoring the photo-ion current. The Multi-Reflection Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer, in connection with a high-resolution electron multiplier, was used as an ion-counting setup for isotopes that either were affected by strong isobaric contamination or possessed a long half-life; the ISOLDE Faraday cups were used for cases with high-intensity beams; and the Windmill decay station was used for short-lived, predominantly α-decaying nuclei. The electromagnetic moments and changes in the mean-square charge radii of the astatine nuclei have been extracted from the measured hyperfine-structure constants and isotope shifts. This was only made possible by dedicated state-of-the-art large-scale atomic computations of the electronic factors and the specific mass shift of atomic transitions in astatine that are needed for these extractions. By comparison with systematics, it was possible to assess the reliability of the results of these calculations and their ascribed uncertainties. A strong deviation in the ground-state mean-square charge radii of the lightest astatine isotopes, from the trend of the (spherical) lead isotopes, is interpreted as the result of an onset of deformation. This behavior bears a resemblance to the deviation observed in the isotonic polonium isotopes. Cases for shape coexistence have been identified in At197,199, for which a significant difference in the charge radii for ground (9/2-) and isomeric (1/2+) states has been observed. ispartof: Physical Review C vol:97 issue:5 status: Published online

The low-energy structure of 65Fe has been studied by means of γ and fast-timing spectroscopy at the ISOLDE facility, CERN. A level scheme of 65Fe populated following the β-decay of 65Mn was established for the first time. It includes 41 levels and 85 transitions. The excitation energy of the β-decaying isomer in 65Fe has been precisely determined at 393.7(2) keV. The β-delayed neutron emission branch was measured as Pn = 7.9(12)%, which cannot be reconciled with the previously reported value of 21.0(5)%. Four γ rays and four excited states in 64Fe were identified as being populated following the β-n decay. Four lifetimes and five lifetime limits in the subnanosecond range have been measured using the advanced time-delayed βγγ(t) method. The level scheme is compared with shell-model calculations. Tentative spin and parity assignments are proposed based on the observed transition rates, the calculations, and the systematics of the region. © 2013 American Physical Society., This work was supported by the Spanish MINECO (FPA2010-17142 and FPA2011-29854), CPAN (CSD-2007- 00042@ Ingenio 2010), RA-NET NuPNET (PRI-PIMNUP- 2011-1338 and PRI-PIMMNUP-2011-1361) and Comunidad de Madrid, Spain (HEPHACOS S2009/ESP-1473). Support by Grupo de F´ısica Nuclear (GFN-UCM) and by the European Union Seventh Framework through ENSAR (Contract No. 262010) is also acknowledged.

A detailed nuclear-decay spectroscopy study of the neutron-deficient isotope 178Tl has been performed using the highly selective Resonance Ionization Laser Ion Source and ISOLDE mass separator (CERN), which allowed a unique isobarically pure beam of 178Tl to be produced. The first identification of the β-delayed fission of this isotope was made and its probability PβDF(178Tl) = 0.15(6)% was determined. An asymmetric fission fragment mass distribution of the daughter isotope 178Hg (populated by the β decay of 178Tl) was deduced based on the measured fission fragment energies. The fine-structure α-decay pattern of 178Tl allowed the low-energy states in the daughter nucleus 174 Au to be studied. ispartof: Physical Review C, Nuclear Physics vol:88 issue:4 pages:1-10 status: published

A beta-decay study of Cu-77 has been performed at the ISOLDE mass separator with the aim to deduce its beta-decay properties and to obtain spectroscopic information on Zn-77. Neutron-rich copper isotopes were produced by means of proton- or neutron-induced fission reactions on U-238. After the production, Cu-77 was selectively laser ionized, mass separated and sent to different detection systems where beta-gamma and beta-n coincidence data were collected. We report on the deduced half-live, decay scheme, and possible spin assignment of 77Cu.

7 pages, 2 figures.-- Printed version published Jun 28, 2004.-- Issue title: Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Clustering Aspects of Nuclear Structure and Dynamics (Nara, Japan, Nov 24-29, 2003)., We discuss the importance of the spectroscopic properties of the resonances of C-12 just above the 3α-threshold, and review the existing experimental information of this region with emphasis on 0(+) and 2(+) states. A new experimental approach for studying the β-decays of B-12 and N-12 is presented based on techniques developed in the context of Radioactive beam (rare isotope) physics. Finally preliminary results from an ongoing analysis of two recent experiments are given.

The use of animal models to study drug dependence and tolerance requires that the species used metabolizes the drugs like man, a condition frequently not fulfilled by non-primate species. The metabolic fate of several amphetamine drugs, namely amphetamine, norephedrine, chlorphentermine and phenmetrazine, in the rhesus monkey and the tamarin and two non-primate species has been investigated and compared to that found for man. The findings show that the two primate species metabolize these drugs in a manner similar to that in man.