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Among the reactions driving stellar evolution during carbon burning, 12C + 12C fusion provides the key ingredients. This system reveals many resonances, but also regions with suppressed fusion cross-sections. The reaction was recently measured by the STELLA collaboration utilizing the gammaparticle coincidence technique for precise cross-section measurements reaching down to the Gamow window of massive stars. From the experimental data, reaction rates were determined by approximating a hindrance parametrization and by adding on top a resonance at the lowest measured energy. The impact of these reaction rates on the evolution of massive stars was explored with models of 12 and 25 M⊙ using the stellar evolution code GENEC, and a detailed study of the resulting nucleosynthesis with a 1454 elements network was performed. The sensitivity of the STELLA experimental cross-sections on the temperature range for C-burning for the stellar models studied were presented. The final abundances and their impacts on stellar evolution were discussed.

We present 12C+12C direct fusion measurements with STELLA UKFATIMA, that reach into the region of astrophysics interest relevant to massive stars (M⊙ ≈ 25) using self-supporting thin rotating carbon foils [1]. We demonstrate that detecting gammas and light charged particles in coincidence with nanosecond timing is key for effective background reduction achieving reliable measurements in the sub-nanobarn range. We give details about core developments of the detection apparatus as well as the coincidence-analysis procedure of low count statistics. The present data largely follows the phenomenological hindrance interpolation and shows indication for resonant behaviour at the lowest energy explored.

Excited states of 122Xe were studied via the β+/EC decay of 122Cs with the 8π γ-ray spectrometer at the TRIUMF-ISAC facility. Compton-suppressed HPGe detectors were used for measurements of γ-ray intensities, γγ coincidences, and γ-γ angular correlations. Two sets of data were collected to optimize the decays of the ground (21.2 s) and isomeric (3.7 min) states of 122Cs. The data collected have enabled the observation of about 505 new transitions and about 250 new levels, including 51 new low-spin states. Spin assignments have been made for 58 low-spin states based on the deduced β-decay feeding and γ-γ angular correlation analyses.

The β-decay half lives of nuclei near the r-process path are critical information required for abundance calculations, especially those near neutron number N = 82. Specifically, the nuclei below doubly-magic 132Sn are key, and play an important role in the formation and shape of the second r-process abundance peak. The half lives in this region are challenging to measure due to the significant β-delayed neutron decay branches and the population of isomeric states with half lives comparable to the ground states. However, by measuring the time distribution of γ rays, these complications can be eliminated. This requires, however, a very effcient γ-ray spectrometer since the production of isotopes in this region is very limited. The new GRIFFIN array at TRIUMF-ISAC provides the high effciency required for these measurements. Recent improvements in the quality of the beams produced at TRIUMF, employing the IG-LIS device, are outlined, as well as the current status of the ARIEL facility. The GRIFFIN spectrometer and its use are briefly described. The experiment to measure the half lives of 128-130Cd is outlined and the results given, and some examples of the power of GRIFFIN to expand decay schemes, specifically for the decay of 128Cd to 128In, are given.

This work reports on the scattering of 11Be on 197Au at energies around and below the Coulomb barrier. By experimentally identifying the elastic scattering, inelastic scattering and breakup channels, and comparing them with different calculations, valuable information on the 11Be structure and its B(E1) distribution to the continuum are obtained. On top of that, a deeper understanding of the scattering process at low energies is achieved for reactions of this kind, making these studies extendable to other loosely-bound systems like 17,19C

A new ancillary detector, SPICE (SPectrometer for Internal Conversion Electrons) has been constructed and recently commissioned for use with radioactive ion beams at the TRIUMF-ISAC II facility. SPICE is designed to be operated in conjunction with the TIGRESS High-Purity Germanium (HPGe) spectrometer to perform combined in-beam γ-ray and internal-conversion-electron spectroscopy. The main feature of SPICE is high effciency over a wide range of electron energies from 100 to 3500 keV, with an effective reduction of beam-induced backgrounds. SPICE will be a powerful tool to measure conversion coeffcients and E0 transitions in atomic nuclei. A recent in-beam commissioning experiment demonstrates the effectiveness of the basic design concept of SPICE in background suppression.

The nuclear structure of 122Xe has been investigated with measurements of the β+/EC decay of 122Cs with the 8 π γ-ray spectrometer at the TRIUMF-ISAC facility. The data collected have enabled the determination of relative B(E2) values of some low-energy transitions, and the in-band transitions of the excited 0+ bands have been observed. As a result, the 2+ rotational band members for the 0+2 and 0+3 states have been firmly identified.

Excited states in 62Ni were populated with a (p, p’) reaction using the 14UD Pelletron accelerator at the Australian National University. Electric monopole transition strengths, ρ2(E0), were measured through simultaneous detection of the internal conversion electrons and γ rays emitted from the de-excitation of populated states, using the Super-e spectrometer coupled with a germanium detector. The strength of the 02+ to 01+ transition has been measured to be 77−34+23 × 10−3 and agrees with previously reported values. Upper limits have been placed on the 03+ to 01+ and 03+ to 02+ transitions. The measured ρ2(E0) value of the 22+ to 21+ transition in 62Ni has been measured for the first time and found to be one of the largest ρ2(E0) values measured to date in nuclei heavier than Ca. The low-lying states of 62Ni have previously been classified as one- and two-phonon vibrational states based on level energies. The measured electric quadrupole transition strengths are consistent with this interpretation. However as electric monopole transitions are forbidden between states which differ by one phonon number, the simple harmonic quadrupole vibrational picture is not suffcient to explain the large ρ2(E0) value for the 22+ to 21+ transition.

A new ancillary detector system for the TIGRESS HPGe array called SPectrometer for Internal Conversion Electrons (SPICE) is currently under development. SPICE consists of a segmented electron detector, photon shield and a permanent magnetic lens. SPICE will enable in-beam electron spectroscopy and, in coupling to the TIGRESS HPGe array, coincident gamma-electron spectroscopy with stable and radioactive beams.

It has been shown that the neutron 2d5/2 orbital has to be included in shell-model calculations to explain the large quadrupole collectivity observed in the Fe and Cr of N = 40 region, probably a new island of inversion similar to the one known for light nuclei around N = 20. Indeed, in these calculations using a large valence neutron space, the position, i.e. the singleparticle energy, of the 2d5/2 orbital is a crucial ingredient. The experiment discussed in this paper aims to determine the v1g9/2-v2d5/2 gap using the neutron stripping reaction d(68Ni; p)68Ni which has been performed at GANIL in inverse kinematics. Preliminary results are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internal conversion coefficients have been measured for transitions in 110Pd to allow the determination of electric monopole (E0) transition strengths. Excited states were populated through inelastic alpha scattering and the SPICE+TIGRESS detectors at TRIUMF-ISAC-II were used to detect the emitted gamma rays and internal conversion electrons. The E0 transition strengths are found to be small and are consistent with the expectation for transitions from a K = 2 band to the K = 0 ground-state band in the axial rotor model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The E 0 transition strength in the 2 2 + → 2 1 + transitions of 58,60,62 Ni have been determined for the first time following a series of measurements at the Australian National University (ANU) and the University of Kentucky (UK). The CAESAR Compton-suppressed HPGe array and the Super-e solenoid at ANU were used to measure the δ ( E 2 / M 1 ) mixing ratio and internal conversion coefficient of each transition following inelastic proton scattering. Level half-lives, δ ( E 2 / M 1 ) mixing ratios and γ -ray branching ratios were measured at UK following inelastic neutron scattering. The new spectroscopic information was used to determine the E 0 strengths. These are the first 2 + → 2 + E 0 transition strengths measured in nuclei with spherical ground states and the E 0 component is found to be unexpectedly large; in fact, these are amongst the largest E 0 transition strengths in medium and heavy nuclei reported to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At low stellar temperatures the energy release due to the CN cycle is regulated by its slowest reaction 14N(p,γ)15O, the rate of which strongly depends on the subthreshold resonance at Ec.m. = -504 keV, which corresponds to the 6.79 MeV state in 15O. By using the Doppler-shift attenuation method and the ³He(16O,α)15O reaction to populate the state, we obtained an upper limit on the lifetime of this state of τ < 1.8 fs [68.3% confidence level (C.L.)]. In addition we measured the lifetimes of the 6.18 and 6.86 MeV states to be τ < 2.5 and τ = 13.3-1.2+0.9 fs, respectively (68.3% C.L.), in good agreement with the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energies and spectroscopic factors of the first 7/2-, 3/2-, 1/2-, and 5/2- states in the 35Si21 nucleus were determined by means of the (d, p) transfer reaction in inverse kinematics at GANIL using the MUST2 and EXOGAM detectors. By comparing the spectroscopic information on the 35Si and 37S isotones, a reduction of the p3/2-p1/2 spin-orbit splitting by about 25% is proposed, while the f7/2-f5/2 spin-orbit splitting seems to remain constant. These features, derived after having unfolded nuclear correlations using shell model calculations, have been attributed to the properties of the two-body spin-orbit interaction, the amplitude of which is derived for the first time in an atomic nucleus. The present results, remarkably well reproduced by using several realistic nucleon-nucleon forces, provide a unique touchstone for the modeling of the spin-orbit interaction in atomic nuclei. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proton capture on the excited isomeric state of 26Al strongly influences the abundance of 26Mg ejected in explosive astronomical events and, as such, plays a critical role in determining the initial content of radiogenic 26Al in presolar grains. This reaction also affects the temperature range for thermal equilibrium between the ground and isomeric levels. We present a novel technique, which exploits the isospin symmetry of the nuclear force, to address the long-standing challenge of determining proton-capture rates on excited nuclear levels. Such a technique has in-built tests that strongly support its veracity and, for the first time, we have experimentally constrained the strengths of resonances that dominate the astrophysical 26mAl(p,γ)27Si reaction. These constraints demonstrate that the rate is at least a factor ∼8 lower than previously expected, indicating an increase in the stellar production of 26Mg and a possible need to reinvestigate sensitivity studies involving the thermal equilibration of 26Al. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excited states in 58,60,62Ni were populated via inelastic proton scattering at the Australian National University as well as via inelastic neutron scattering at the University of Kentucky Accelerator Laboratory. The Super-e electron spectrometer and the CAESAR Compton-suppressed HPGe array were used in complementary experiments to measure conversion coefficients and δ(E2/M1) mixing ratios, respectively, for a number of 2+→2+ transitions. The data obtained were combined with lifetimes and branching ratios to determine E0,M1, and E2 transition strengths between 2+ states. The E0 transition strengths between 0+ states were measured using internal conversion electron spectroscopy and compare well to previous results from internal pair formation spectroscopy. The E0 transition strengths between the lowest-lying 2+ states were found to be consistently large for the isotopes studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The evolution of nuclear magic numbers at extremes of isospin is a topic at the forefront of contemporary nuclear physics. N=50 is a prime example, with increasing experimental data coming to light on potentially doubly magic 100Sn and 78Ni at the proton-rich and proton-deficient extremes, respectively; however, experimental discrepancies exist in the data for less exotic systems. Purpose: In 86Kr the B(E2;2+1→0+1) value--a key indicator of shell evolution--has been experimentally determined by two different methodologies, with the results deviating by 3σ. Here, we report on a new high-precision measurement of this value, as well as the first measured lifetimes and hence transition strengths for the 2+2 and 3-(2) states in the nucleus. Methods: The Doppler-shift attenuation method was implemented using the TRIUMF-ISAC γ-ray escape-suppressed spectrometer (TIGRESS) γ-ray spectrometer and the TIGRESS integrated plunger device. High-statistics Monte Carlo simulations were utilized to extract lifetimes in accordance with state-of-the-art methodologies. Results: Lifetimes of τ(2+1)=336±4(stat.)±20(sys.) fs, τ(2+2)=263±9(stat.)±19(sys.) fs, and τ(3-(2))=73±6(stat.)±32(sys.) fs were extracted. This yields a transition strength for the first-excited state of B(E2;2+1→0+1)=259±3(stat.)±16(sys.) e² fm4. Conclusions: The measured lifetime disagrees with the previous Doppler-shift attenuation method measurement by more than 3σ, while agreeing well with a previous value extracted from Coulomb excitation. The newly extracted B(E2;2+1→0+1) value indicates a more significant reduction in the N=50 isotones approaching Z=40. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high-precision half-life measurement for the superallowed β+ transition between the isospin T=1/2 mirror nuclei 21Na and 21Ne has been performed at the TRIUMF-ISAC radioactive ion beam facility yielding T1/2=22.4506(33) s, a result that is a factor of 4 more precise than the previous world-average half-life for 21Na and represents the single most precisely determined half-life for a transition between mirror nuclei to date. The contribution to the uncertainty in the 21Na Ftmirror value due to the half-life is now reduced to the level of the nuclear-structure-dependent theoretical corrections, leaving the branching ratio as the dominant experimental uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high precision lifetime measurement of the 21+ state in 94Sr was performed at TRIUMF's ISAC-II facility by coupling the recoil distance method implemented via the TIGRESS integrated plunger with unsafe Coulomb excitation in inverse kinematics. Due to limited statistics imposed by the use of a radioactive 94Sr beam, a likelihood ratio χ² method was derived and used to compare experimental data to Geant4 simulations. The B(E2; 21+ → 01+) value extracted from the lifetime measurement of 7.80-0.4+00.50 (stat.) ± 0.07 (sys.) ps is approximately 25% larger than previously reported while the relative error has been reduced by a factor of approximately 8. A baseline deformation has been established for Sr isotopes with N ≤ 58 which is a necessary condition for the quantum phase transition interpretation of the onset of deformation in this region. A comparison to existing theoretical models is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]