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The $\ensuremath{\beta}$ decays of $^{103,104m}\mathrm{Nb}$ were studied with the Summing NaI(Tl) (SuN) detector at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. The $\ensuremath{\beta}$-decay feeding intensity distribution ${I}_{\ensuremath{\beta}}(E)$ for each isotope was extracted by measuring $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays in coincidence with an emitted electron. The ${I}_{\ensuremath{\beta}}(E)$ was extracted via the total absorption spectroscopy technique. The ${I}_{\ensuremath{\beta}}(E)$ for each nucleus was compared to predictions made by the quasiparticle random-phase approximation (QRPA) model which is commonly used to calculate $\ensuremath{\beta}$-decay properties for astrophysical applications. The main goal was to provide experimental data for neutron-rich nuclei, relevant to the astrophysical $r$ process. In addition, the extracted $\ensuremath{\beta}$-decay feeding intensity distributions can lead to a better understanding of nuclear structure in a region of rapid structure changes around $A=100$. Finally, experimental data for $^{104m}\mathrm{Nb}$ are also of interest to antineutrino studies of nuclear reactors.

The $\ensuremath{\beta}$ decay of $^{101,102}\mathrm{Zr}$ and $^{109}\mathrm{Tc}$ was studied using the technique of total absorption spectroscopy. The experiment was performed at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory using the Summing NaI(Tl) (SuN) detector in the first-ever application of total absorption spectroscopy with a fast beam produced via projectile fragmentation. The $\ensuremath{\beta}$-decay feeding intensity and Gamow-Teller transition strength distributions were extracted for these three decays. The extracted distributions were compared to three different quasiparticle random-phase approximation (QRPA) models based on different mean-field potentials. A comparison with calculations from one of the QRPA models was performed to learn about the ground-state shape of the parent nucleus. For $^{101}\mathrm{Zr}$ and $^{102}\mathrm{Zr}$, calculations assuming a pure shape configuration (oblate or prolate) were not able to reproduce the extracted distributions. These results may indicate that some type of mixture between oblate and prolate shapes is necessary to reproduce the extracted distributions. For $^{109}\mathrm{Tc}$, a comparison of the extracted distributions with QRPA calculations suggests a dominant oblate configuration. The other two QRPA models are commonly used to provide $\ensuremath{\beta}$-decay properties in $r$-process network calculations. This work shows the importance of making comparisons between the experimental and theoretical $\ensuremath{\beta}$-decay distributions, rather than just half-lives and $\ensuremath{\beta}$-delayed neutron emission probabilities, as close to the $r$-process path as possible.

Spin–isospin excitations in Nb 100 were studied via the Mo 100 ( t , He 3 ) charge-exchange reaction at 115 MeV/u with the goal to constrain theoretical models used to describe the isovector spin response of nuclei. The experiment was performed with a secondary beam of tritons, and 3He particles were analyzed in the S800 magnetic spectrometer. Decay by neutron emission from excited states in Nb 100 was observed by using plastic and liquid scintillator arrays. Differential cross sections were analyzed and monopole excitations were revealed by using a multipole decomposition analysis. The Gamow–Teller transition strength observed at low excitation energies, which is important for estimating the electron-capture rate in astrophysical scenarios, was strongly fragmented and reduced compared to single-particle and spherical mean-field models. The consideration of deformation in the theoretical estimates was found to be important to better describe the fragmentation and strengths. A strong excitation of the isovector spin giant monopole resonance was observed, and well reproduced by the mean-field models. Its presence makes the extraction of Gamow–Teller strengths at high excitation energies difficult. The branches for statistical and direct decay by neutron emission were identified in the spectra. The upper limit for the branching ratio by direct decay (integrated over all observed excitations) was determined to be 20 ± 6 % . Even though the statistical uncertainties in the neutron-coincident data were too large to perform detailed studies of the decay by neutron emission from individual states and resonances, the experiment demonstrates the feasibility of the method.

Background: The recent observation of a neutron-star merger finally confirmed one astrophysical location of the rapid neutron-capture process (r-process). Evidence of the production of $Al140$ nuclei was seen, but there is still little detailed information about how those lighter elements are produced in such an environment. Many of the questions surrounding the $A\ensuremath{\approx}80$ nuclei are likely to be answered only when the nuclear physics involved in the production of r-process nuclei is well understood. Neutron-capture reactions are an important component of the r-process, and neutron-capture cross sections of r-process nuclei, which are very neutron rich, have large uncertainties.Purpose: Indirectly determine the neutron-capture cross section and reaction rate of $^{73}\mathrm{Zn}(n,\ensuremath{\gamma})^{74}\mathrm{Zn}$.Methods: The nuclear level density (NLD) and $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray strength function ($\ensuremath{\gamma}\mathrm{SF}$) of $^{74}\mathrm{Zn}$ were determined following a total absorption spectroscopy (TAS) experiment focused on the $\ensuremath{\beta}$ decay of $^{74}\mathrm{Cu}$ into $^{74}\mathrm{Zn}$ performed at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. The NLD and $\ensuremath{\gamma}\mathrm{SF}$ were used as inputs in a Hauser-Feshbach statistical model to calculate the neutron-capture cross section and reaction rate.Results: The NLD and $\ensuremath{\gamma}\mathrm{SF}$ of $^{74}\mathrm{Zn}$ were experimentally constrained for the first time using $\ensuremath{\beta}$-delayed $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays measured with TAS and the $\ensuremath{\beta}$-Oslo method. The NLD and $\ensuremath{\gamma}\mathrm{SF}$ were then used to constrain the neutron-capture cross section and reaction rate for the $^{73}\mathrm{Zn}(n,\ensuremath{\gamma})^{74}\mathrm{Zn}$ reaction.Conclusions: The uncertainty in the neutron-capture cross section and reaction rate of $^{73}\mathrm{Zn}(n,\ensuremath{\gamma})^{74}\mathrm{Zn}$ calculated in TALYS was reduced to under a factor of 2 from a factor of 5 in the cross section and a factor of 11 in the reaction rate using the experimentally obtained NLD and $\ensuremath{\gamma}\mathrm{SF}$.

Neutron-capture reactions on very neutron-rich nuclei are essential for heavy-element nucleosynthesis through the rapid neutron-capture process, now shown to take place in neutron-star merger events. For these exotic nuclei, radiative neutron capture is extremely sensitive to their $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-emission probability at very low $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ energies. In this work, we present measurements of the $\ensuremath{\gamma}\text{-decay}$ strength of $^{70}\mathrm{Ni}$ over the wide range $1.3\ensuremath{\le}{E}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}\ensuremath{\le}8$ MeV. A significant enhancement is found in the $\ensuremath{\gamma}\text{-decay}$ strength for transitions with ${E}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}l3$ MeV. At present, this is the most neutron-rich nucleus displaying this feature, proving that this phenomenon is not restricted to stable nuclei. We have performed $E1$-strength calculations within the quasiparticle time-blocking approximation, which describe our data above ${E}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}\ensuremath{\simeq}5$ MeV very well. Moreover, large-scale shell-model calculations indicate an $M1$ nature of the low-energy $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ strength. This turns out to be remarkably robust with respect to the choice of interaction, truncation, and model space, and we predict its presence in the whole isotopic chain, in particular the neutron-rich $^{72,74,76}\mathrm{Ni}$.

Neutron-capture reactions play an important role in heavy element nucleosynthesis, since they are the driving force for the two processes that create the vast majority of the heavy elements. When a neutron capture occurs on a short-lived nucleus, it is extremely challenging to study the reaction directly and therefore the use of indirect techniques is essential. The present work reports on such an indirect measurement that provides strong constraints on the 68Ni(n, γ)69Ni reaction rate. This is done by populating the compound nucleus 69Ni via the β decay of 69Co and measuring the γ-ray deexcitation of excited states in 69Ni. The β-Oslo method was used to extract the γ-ray strength function and the nuclear level density. In addition the half-life of 69Co was extracted and found to be in agreement with previous literature values. Before the present results, the 68Ni(n, γ)69Ni reaction was unconstrained and the purely theoretical reaction rate was highly uncertain. The new uncertainty on the reaction rate based on the present experiment (variation between upper and lower limit) is approximately a factor of 3. The commonly used reaction libraries JINA-REACLIB and BRUSLIB are in relatively good agreement with the experimental rate. The impact of the new rate on weak r-process calculations is discussed. This research was first published in Journal of Physics G: Nuclear and Particle Physics. © IOP Publishing.

The $\ensuremath{\beta}$ decay of $^{76}\mathrm{Ga}$ was studied using the technique of total absorption spectroscopy for the first time. The experiment was performed at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory using the Summing NaI(Tl) detector. The extracted $\ensuremath{\beta}$-decay feeding intensity distribution and Gamow-Teller transition strength distribution are compared to shell-model calculations to help constrain nuclear matrix elements relevant to the neutrinoless double-$\ensuremath{\beta}$ decay of $^{76}\mathrm{Ge}$.

Author(s): Crider, BP; Prokop, CJ; Liddick, SN; Al-Shudifat, M; Ayangeakaa, AD; Carpenter, MP; Carroll, JJ; Chen, J; Chiara, CJ; David, HM; Dombos, AC; Go, S; Grzywacz, R; Harker, J; Janssens, RVF; Larson, N; Lauritsen, T; Lewis, R; Quinn, SJ; Recchia, F; Spyrou, A; Suchyta, S; Walters, WB; Zhu, S | Abstract: Shape coexistence near closed-shell nuclei, whereby states associated with deformed shapes appear at relatively low excitation energy alongside spherical ones, is indicative of the rapid change in structure that can occur with the addition or removal of a few protons or neutrons. Near 68Ni (Z=28, N=40), the identification of shape coexistence hinges on hitherto undetermined transition rates to and from low-energy 0+ states. In 68,70Ni, new lifetimes and branching ratios have been measured. These data enable quantitative descriptions of the 0+ states through the deduced transition rates and serve as sensitive probes for characterizing their nuclear wave functions. The results are compared to, and consistent with, large-scale shell-model calculations which predict shape coexistence. With the firm identification of this phenomenon near 68Ni, shape coexistence is now observed in all currently accessible regions of the nuclear chart with closed proton shells and mid-shell neutrons.

In recent models, the neutron-rich Ni isotopes around $N=40$ are predicted to exhibit multiple low-energy excited ${0}^{+}$ states attributed to neutron and proton excitations across both the $N=40$ and $Z=28$ shell gaps. In $^{68}\mathrm{Ni}$, the three observed ${0}^{+}$ states have been interpreted in terms of triple shape coexistence between spherical, oblate, and prolate deformed shapes. In the present work a new $({0}_{2}^{+})$ state at an energy of 1567 keV has been discovered in $^{70}\mathrm{Ni}$ by using $\ensuremath{\beta}$-delayed, $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray spectroscopy following the decay of $^{70}\mathrm{Co}$. The precipitous drop in the energy of the prolate-deformed ${0}^{+}$ level between $^{68}\mathrm{Ni}$ and $^{70}\mathrm{Ni}$ with the addition of two neutrons compares favorably with results of Monte Carlo shell-model calculations carried out in the large $fp{g}_{9/2}{d}_{5/2}$ model space, which predict a ${0}_{2}^{+}$ state at 1525 keV in $^{70}\mathrm{Ni}$. The result extends the shape-coexistence picture in the region to $^{70}\mathrm{Ni}$ and confirms the importance of the role of the tensor component of the monopole interaction in describing the structure of neutron-rich nuclei.

The $^{90}\mathrm{Zr}(\ensuremath{\alpha},\ensuremath{\gamma})^{94}\mathrm{Mo},\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}^{92}\mathrm{Zr}(\ensuremath{\alpha},\ensuremath{\gamma})^{96}\mathrm{Mo}$, and $^{74}\mathrm{Ge}(\ensuremath{\alpha},\ensuremath{\gamma})^{78}\mathrm{Se}$ reaction cross sections were measured for the first time in an effort to expand the existing experimental database for $(\ensuremath{\alpha},\ensuremath{\gamma})$ reactions relevant for the production of $p$ nuclei in the universe. In particular, the $^{90}\mathrm{Zr}(\ensuremath{\alpha},\ensuremath{\gamma})^{94}\mathrm{Mo}$ reaction was identified by a sensitivity study for its potential impact on the $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-process mass flow in the region of light $p$ nuclei. The measurements were performed for energies ${E}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}}=9.5--12.0$ MeV at the University of Notre Dame using the SuN detector and the $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-summing technique. The results are compared to theoretical calculations from the talys and non-smoker nuclear reaction codes, and it is shown that the data greatly reduce the uncertainty in the cross section for the measured energies. The talys parameters that provide the best description of the experimental data are reported.

A systematic measurement of the $(\ensuremath{\alpha},\ensuremath{\gamma})$ reaction for all the stable nickel isotopes has been performed using the $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-summing technique. For two of the isotopes, $^{60}\mathrm{Ni}$ and $^{61}\mathrm{Ni}$, the $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-capture cross sections have been experimentally measured for the first time. For $^{58,62,64}\mathrm{Ni}$, the current measurement is in excellent agreement with earlier results found in the literature, and additionally extends the energy range of the measured cross sections up to 8.7 MeV. The data provided a tool for testing the cross section predictions of Hauser-Feshbach calculations. The experimental results were compared to the cross sections calculated with the talys 1.6 code and commonly used databases non-smoker and bruslib. For each of the investigated isotopes a combination of input parameter for talys was identified that best reproduces the experimental data, and recommended reaction rate has been calculated. Additionally, a set of inputs for Hauser-Feshbach calculations was given that, simultaneously for all the isotopes under consideration, reproduces the experimental data within the experimental uncertainties.

A novel technique has been developed, which will open exciting new opportunities for studying the very neutron-rich nuclei involved in the $r$ process. As a proof of principle, the $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ spectra from the $\ensuremath{\beta}$ decay of $^{76}\mathrm{Ga}$ have been measured with the SuN detector at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. The nuclear level density and $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray strength function are extracted and used as input to Hauser-Feshbach calculations. The present technique is shown to strongly constrain the $^{75}\mathrm{Ge}(n,\ensuremath{\gamma})^{76}\mathrm{Ge}$ cross section and reaction rate.

Cross section measurements of the reactions ${}^{90,92}$Zr($p$,$\ensuremath{\gamma}$)${}^{91,93}$Nb were performed using the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory Summing NaI(Tl) detector at the University of Notre Dame. These reactions are part of the nuclear reaction flow for the synthesis of the light $p$ nuclei. For the ${}^{90}$Zr($p$,$\ensuremath{\gamma}$)${}^{91}$Nb reaction the new measurement resolves the disagreement between previous results. For the ${}^{92}$Zr($p$,$\ensuremath{\gamma}$)${}^{93}$Nb reaction the present work reports the first measurement of this reaction cross section. Both reaction cross sections are compared to theoretical calculations and a very good agreement with the standard non-smoker model is observed.

In an effort to investigate the production of ${}^{74}$Se in $p$-process nucleosynthesis, the ${}^{74}$Ge($p$,$\ensuremath{\gamma}$)${}^{75}$As reaction cross section was measured in the relevant energy range of ${E}_{p}=1.6$--4.2 MeV. The measurements were carried out using the NSCL SuN detector at the University of Notre Dame. The results are in good agreement with previous work, extending the measurements to both lower and higher energies. The measurements are compared to theoretical predictions using the non-smoker and talys nuclear reaction codes. New and improved reaction rates are offered, and these reaction rates are used in a 25M${}_{\ensuremath{\bigodot}}$ Type II Supernova model to study their impact on the production of ${}^{74}$Se.