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The gamma-ray decay of excited states of the one-valence-proton nucleus Sb-133 has been studied using cold-neutron induced fission of U-235 and Pu-241 targets, during the EXILL campaign at the ILL reactor in Grenoble. By using a highly efficient HPGe array, coincidences between gamma-rays prompt with the fission event and those delayed up to several tens of microseconds were investigated, allowing to observe, for the first time, high-spin excited states above the 16.6 mu s isomer. Lifetimes analysis, performed by fast-timing techniques with LaBr3(Ce) scintillators, revealed a difference of almost two orders of magnitude in B(M1) strength for transitions between positive-parity medium-spin yrast states. The data are interpreted by a newly developed microscopic model which takes into account couplings between core excitations (both collective and non-collective) of the doubly magic nucleus Sn-132 and the valence proton, using Skyrme effective interaction in a consistent way. The results point to a fast change in the nature of particle-core excitations with increasing spin. (C) 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license.

Pre-equilibrium emissions affect the production of excited systems in nuclear reactions, thus modifying their properties which enter as input parameters in the comparison with statistical models. In this contribution, we discuss this subject referring to recent results from experiments performed at Legnaro National Laboratories (Italy) with the GARFIELD apparatus complemented with other detectors. ispartof: Acta Physica Polonica B vol:48 issue:3 pages:635-639 ispartof: location:Zakopane: POLAND status: published

The multipolarity of the main transition leading to the ground state in 210Bi was investigated using the angular correlations of γ rays. The analyzed γ -coincidence data were obtained from the 209Bi(n,γ )210Bi experiment performed at Institut Laue-Langevin Grenoble at the PF1B cold-neutron facility. The EXILL (EXOGAM at the ILL) multidetector array, consisting of 16 high-purity germanium detectors, was used to detect γ transitions. The mixing ratio of the 320-keV γ ray was defined by minimizing a multivariable χ2 function constructed from the coefficients of angular correlation functions for seven pairs of strong transitions in 210Bi. As a result, the almost pure M1 multipolarity of the 320-keV γ ray was obtained, with an E2 admixture of less than 0.6% only (95% confidence limit). Based on this multipolarity the neutron-capture cross section leading to the ground state in 210Bi, that decays in turn to radiotoxic 210Po, was determined to be within the limits 21.3(9) and 21.5(9) mb. This result is important for nuclear reactor applications.

The low-spin structure of the 210Bi nucleus was investigated in the neutron capture experiment 209Bi(n,γ )210Bi performed at ILL Grenoble at the PF1B cold-neutron facility. By using the EXILL multidetector array, consisting of 46 high-purity germanium crystals, and γγ-coincidence technique, 64 primary γ rays were observed (40 new) and a total number of 70 discrete states (33 new) were located below the neutron binding energy in 210Bi. The analysis of the angular correlations of γ rays provided information about transitions multipolarities, which made it possible to confirm most of the previously known spin-parity assignments and helped establish new ones. The obtained experimental results were compared to shell-model calculations involving one-valence-proton, one-valence-neutron excitations outside the 208Pb core. It has been found that while up to the energy of ∼2 MeV each state observed in 210Bi has its calculated counterpart; at higher excitation energies some levels cannot be described by the valence particle couplings. These states may arise from couplings of valence particles to the 3− octupole phonon of the doubly magic 208Pb core and may serve as a testing ground for models which describe single particle-phonon excitations.

Excited states above the seniority $\ensuremath{\nu}=2$ isomers have been investigated in even neutron-rich ${}^{118--128}$Sn isotopes produced by fusion-fission of 6.9 MeV/$A$ $^{48}\mathrm{Ca}$ beams with $^{208}\mathrm{Pb}$ and $^{238}\mathrm{U}$ targets and by fission of 6.7 MeV/$A$ $^{64}\mathrm{Ni}$ beams on a $^{238}\mathrm{U}$ target. Level schemes up to excitation energies in excess of 8 MeV have been established based on multifold $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray coincidence relationships measured with the Gammasphere array. Isotopic identification of crucial transitions was achieved through a number of techniques, including prompt and delayed cross-coincidence methods. As a result, seniority $\ensuremath{\nu}=4$, 15${}^{\ensuremath{-}}$, and 13${}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ isomers were observed and their half-lives determined. These long-lived states in turn served as steppingstones to delineate the isomeric decays and to locate higher-lying states with good sensitivity. As the observed isomeric decays feed down to 10${}^{+}$ and 7${}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ isomers, firm spin-parity assignments could be proposed for most of the seniority $\ensuremath{\nu}=4$ states. Higher-lying, seniority $\ensuremath{\nu}=6$ levels were assigned tentatively on the basis of the observed deexcitation paths as well as of general yrast population arguments. Shell-model calculations were carried out down to $^{122}\mathrm{Sn}$ in the ${g}_{7/2}$, ${d}_{5/2}$, ${d}_{3/2}$, ${s}_{1/2}$, and ${h}_{11/2}$ model space of neutron holes with respect to a $^{132}\mathrm{Sn}$ core. Effective two-body interactions were adjusted such that satisfactory agreement with data was achieved for $^{130}\mathrm{Sn}$. The results reproduce the experimental level energies and spin-parity assignments rather well. The intrinsic structure of the states is discussed on the basis of the calculated wave functions which, in many instances, point to complex configurations. In a few cases, the proposed assignments lead to unresolved issues. The smooth, systematic decrease of the level energies with mass $A$ is accompanied by the similarly regular behavior with $A$ of the reduced transition probabilities extracted from the isomeric half-lives. This $A$ dependence is discussed for the $E1$ and $E2$ transitions in the decay of the seniority $\ensuremath{\nu}=4$ isomers and is compared to that determined in earlier work for the $E2$ transition rates from the $\ensuremath{\nu}=2,3$ isomers.

High-spin states with the seniority v ≥ 2 have been investigated in the neutron-rich 118,120,122,124,126Sn isotopes. They were produced in fusion-fission processes following 48Ca + 208Pb, 48Ca + 238U reactions and via fission of target nuclei in the 64Ni + 238U system. By employing techniques of delayed- and cross-coincidences, it was possible to establish level schemes up to an 8 MeV excitation energy. The 13− and 15− states were identified as being isomeric and their half-lives were determined. The reduced transition probabilities extracted for isomeric transitions behave very regularly with the mass number A. The spin-parity values assigned to or suggested for the identified states were supported by shell-model calculations and by systematics.

International audience; In this paper we formulate and discuss the strategy of constructing theories capable of providing not only the numerical predictions sensu strict but also the distributions of probability that such predictions apply in the predefined physics context. Examples of applications of the presented ideas are illustrated using as a choice the nuclear mean-field theory with two realistic realizations of the underlying Hamiltonians: Phenomenological Woods-Saxon and self-consistent Skyme-Hartree-Fock.