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Decay spectroscopy of No250 has been performed using digital electronics and pulse-shape analysis of the fast nuclear decays for the first time. Previous studies of No250 reported two distinct fission decay lifetimes, related to the direct fission of the ground state and to the decay of an isomeric state but without the possibility to determine if the isomeric state decayed directly via fission or via internal electromagnetic transitions to the ground state. The data obtained in the current experiment allowed the puzzle to finally be resolved, attributing the shorter half-life of t1/2=3.8±0.3μs to the ground state and the longer half-life t1/2=34.9−3.2+3.9μs to the decay of an isomeric state. No250 becomes, thus, one of a very few examples of very heavy nuclei with an isomeric state living considerably longer than its ground state. This phenomenon has important consequences for the nuclear-structure models aiming to determine the borders of the island of stability of superheavy elements.

International audience; SPIDER is a new array of segmented silicon detectors for low-energy Coulomb-excitation experiments, designed as an ancillary device for modern γ -ray spectrometers such as GALILEO and AGATA. Currently, it is used at the INFN Legnaro National Laboratories (LNL) for experiments with the GALILEO γ -ray array and the stable beams provided by the Tandem-XTU, ALPI-PIAVE accelerator complex. In this paper, a detailed description of SPIDER is presented, as well as the outcomes from the first in-beam experiment of the array coupled with GALILEO. In particular, radiation damage and cross-talk/charge-sharing effects induced by energetic heavy ions in SPIDER are investigated and the capabilities of the array to perform on-line Rutherford back-scattering analysis of the exploited target are presented. The material reported here can be used to plan future experiments with the GALILEO-SPIDER setup with the presently available stable beams at LNL and paves the way for future experimental campaigns with the radioactive beams provided in the near future by the SPES facility at LNL.

Background: Shape coexistence in the Z≈82 region has been established in mercury, lead, and polonium isotopes. For even-even mercury isotopes with 100≤N≤106 multiple fingerprints of this phenomenon are observed, which seems to be no longer present for N≥110. According to a number of theoretical calculations, shape coexistence is predicted in the Hg188 isotope. Purpose: The aim of this work was to measure lifetimes of excited states in Hg188 to infer their collective properties, such as the deformation. Extending the investigation to higher-spin states, which are expected to be less affected by band-mixing effects, can provide additional information on the coexisting structures. Methods: The Hg188 nucleus was populated using two different fusion-evaporation reactions with two targets, Gd158 and Gd160, and a beam of S34 provided by the Tandem-ALPI accelerator complex at the Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro. The channels of interest were selected using the information from the Neutron Wall array, while the γ rays were detected using the GALILEO γ-ray spectrometer. Lifetimes of excited states were determined using the recoil-distance Doppler-shift method, employing the dedicated GALILEO plunger device. Results: Lifetimes of the states up to spin 16ℏ were measured and the corresponding reduced transition probabilities were calculated. Assuming two-band mixing and adopting, as done commonly, the rotational model, the mixing strengths and the deformation parameters of the unperturbed structures were obtained from the experimental results. In order to shed light on the nature of the observed configurations in the Hg188 nucleus, the extracted transition strengths were compared with those resulting from state-of-the-art beyond-mean-field calculations using the symmetry-conserving configuration-mixing approach, limited to axial shapes, and the five-dimensional collective Hamiltonian, including the triaxial degree of freedom. Conclusions: The first lifetime measurement for states with spin ≥6 suggested the presence of an almost spherical structure above the 121+ isomer and allowed elucidating the structure of the intruder band. The comparison of the extracted B(E2) strengths with the two-band mixing model allowed the determination of the ground-state band deformation. Both beyond-mean-field calculations predict coexistence of a weakly deformed band with a strongly prolate-deformed one, characterized by elongation parameters similar to those obtained experimentally, but the calculated relative position of the bands and their mixing strongly differ.

Low-energy Coulomb excitation is one of the simplest and most known tools to study the nuclear shape; for this reason it is nowadays widely used at radioactive beam facilities. The SPES facility, for the acceleration of radioactive beams will soon provide the first exotic beams at the Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro (LNL) in Italy.a#13; To this end a new particle detector (Silicon PIe DEtectoR) to be used for Coulomb excitation studies has been installed at LNL. SPIDER has been coupled to the GALILEO array of germanium detectors, and a number of experiments have been already successfully performed. This paves the way for future experiments with the radioactive beams provided by the SPES facility.

The lifetimes of the low-lying excited states 2(+) and 4(+) have been directly measured in the neutron-deficient Sn-106,Sn-108 isotopes. the nuclei were populated via a deep-inelastic reaction and the lifetime measurement was performed employing a differential plunger device. the emitted gamma rays were detected by the AGATA array, while the reaction products were uniquely identified by the VAMOS++ magnetic spectrometer. Large-Scale Shell-Model calculations with realistic forces indicate that, independently of the pairing content of the interaction, the quadrupole force is dominant in the B(E2; 2(1)(+) -> 0(g.s)(+)) values and it describes well the experimental pattern for Sn104-114 ; the B(E2;(+)(4) -> 2(1)(+)) values, measured here for the first time, depend critically on a delicate pairing-quadrupole balance, disclosed by the very precise results in Sn-108. (C) 2020 the Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V., European Union's Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological DevelopmentEuropean Union (EU) [262010]; Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio Padova e Rovigo under the project CONPHYT, starting grant in 2017; Swedish Research CouncilSwedish Research Council [822-2005-3332, 821-2010-6024, 821-2013-2304, 621-20145558, 2017-0065]; Knut and Alice Wallenberg FoundationKnut & Alice Wallenberg Foundation [2005.0184]; Scientific and Technological Council of Turkey (TUBITAK)Turkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [114F473]; Ministerio de Ciencia e InnovacionInstituto de Salud Carlos IIISpanish Government [SEV-2014-0398, FPA2017-84756-C4, EEBBI-15-09671]; Generalitat ValencianaGeneralitat Valenciana [PROMETEO/2019/005]; EU-FEDER fundsEuropean Union (EU); Croatian Science Foundation [7194]; Hungarian National Research and Innovation Office (NKFIH) [K128947, PD124717, GINOP-2.3.3-15-2016-00034]; Polish National Science Centre under the COPIN-IN2P3 project [2014-14-M-ST2-00738, 2016-22M-ST2-00269, 2017-25-B-ST2-01569]; Polish National Science Centre under the COPIGAL project [2014-14-M-ST2-00738, 2016-22M-ST2-00269, 2017-25-B-ST2-01569]; Polish National Science Centre under the POLITA project [2014-14-M-ST2-00738, 2016-22M-ST2-00269, 2017-25-B-ST2-01569], The authors would like to thank the AGATA and VAMOS collaborations. Special thanks go to the GANIL technical staff for their help in setting up the apparatuses and the good quality beam and to A. Poves for his fruitful comments. This work was partially supported by the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (grant no. 262010). A.G. acknowledges the support of the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio Padova e Rovigo under the project CONPHYT, starting grant in 2017. the work was also supported (B.C, H.L., J.N. and U.J.) by Swedish Research Council under the grant agreements nos. 822-2005-3332, 821-2010-6024, 821-2013-2304, 621-20145558 and 2017-0065, and by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation grant no. 2005.0184, (B.S.) by the Scientific and Technological Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) under the project no. 114F473, (A.G., A.J. and R.P.) by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion under the contracts nos. SEV-2014-0398, FPA2017-84756-C4 and EEBBI-15-09671, by the Generalitat Valenciana under the grant agreement no. PROMETEO/2019/005 and by the EU-FEDER funds, (T.M and S.S.) by the Croatian Science Foundation under the project no. 7194, (I.K and D.S.) by the Hungarian National Research and Innovation Office (NKFIH) under the project nos. K128947, PD124717 and GINOP-2.3.3-15-2016-00034, (M.P.) by the Polish National Science Centre with the grants nos. 2014-14-M-ST2-00738, 2016-22M-ST2-00269 and 2017-25-B-ST2-01569 under the COPIN-IN2P3, COPIGAL and POLITA projects.

The objective of this study was to investigate how a meaningful PMF solution can be obtained with smaller datasets using the features included in USEPA version 5. In all 29 PM10 and 33 PM2.5 samples were collected from a rural setup in Apulia. The filters were characterised chemically. Running the model with the PM10 and PM2.5 samples separately resulted in the model not working correctly. The datasets for the two PM fractions were therefore aggregated in a single dataset made up of 62 samples. PMF isolated 5 different factors. The solution returned by PMF was validated against the solutions returned by two other models CWNMF and CMB. The daily samples reconstructed by the three models were compared to each other using Pearson correlation and the source contribution estimates returned by the three models were also compared

Data analysis of the Coulomb excitation experiment of the exotic 206Hg nucleus, recently performed at CERN’s HIE-ISOLDE facility, needs to account for the contribution to target excitation due to the strongly-present beam contaminant 130Xe. In this paper, the contamination subtraction procedure is presented.

The GALILEO ?-ray spectrometer, installed at the Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro (LNL), benefits from intense stable beams provided by the Tandem-ALPI-PIAVE accelerator complex and from radioactive beams to be delivered in the near future by the SPES facility. The spectrometer is complemented with a variety of ancillary devices to allow for nuclear structure and reaction studies. The 4? Si-ball array EUCLIDES coupled to the GALILEO ?-ray spectrometer represents one of the commonly used setup for experiments aiming at spectroscopic studies. High-efficiency detection of light-charged particles in a fusion–evaporation reaction guarantees good discrimination of different reaction channels and provides essential information for the kinematic reconstruction. In this paper we discuss a configuration of the EUCLIDES array developed for the lifetime measurements of nuclear excited states populated in a fusion–evaporation reaction. In such a configuration a part of the EUCLIDES detectors is disassembled allowing for the installation of a plunger device in the reaction chamber. The reduced configuration of EUCLIDES provides high detection efficiency necessary for reliable light charged-particle discrimination. We report on the commissioning experiment focused on the 58Ni(58Ni,3p)113I reaction. The lifetimes of 11/2? and 15/2? states were measured by applying the Recoil Distance Doppler Shift method to be equal to 206(20) ps and 7.9(12) ps correspondingly and were in good agreement with the values cited in the literature. Thus, the combination of the GALILEO and EUCLIDES arrays, and the plunger device has resulted in a powerful experimental setup to determine lifetimes of excited states in neutron-deficient nuclei in the picosecond range. © 2020 Elsevier B.V., Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Padova e Rovigo Narodowe Centrum Nauki, NCN: 2017/25/B/ST2/01569 Narodowym Centrum Nauki, NCN, The authors would like to thank the technical staff of the LNL-INFN facility for their assistance in providing excellent operation of the XTU-Tandem accelerator. The authors wish to acknowledge the support of local engineers P. Cocconi and R. Isocrate. The work of G. Jaworski was supported by the National Science Centre, Poland (NCN) (grant no. 2017/25/B/ST2/01569 ). A. Goasduff acknowledges the support of the CARIPARO foundation under the Starting Grant 2017 .

Export Date: 14 August 2020 ispartof: Acta Physica Polonica B vol:51 issue:3 pages:683-688 ispartof: location:POLAND, Piaski status: published

Results of a methodological study on the use of Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) with smaller datasets are being reported in this work. This study is based on 29 PM10 and 33 PM2.5 samples from a receptor in a rural setup in Apulia (Southern Italy). Running PMF on the two size fractions separately resulted in the model not functioning correctly. We therefore, augmented the size of the dataset by aggregating the PM10 and PM2.5 data. The 5-factor solution obtained for the aggregated data was fairly rotationally stable, and was further refined by the rotational tools included in USEPA PMF version 5. These refinements include the imposition of constraints on the solution, based on our knowledge of the chemical composition of the aerosol sources affecting the receptor. Additionally, the uncertainties associated with this solution were fully characterised using the improved error estimation techniques in this version of PMF. Five factors in all, were isolated by PMF: ammonium sulfate, marine aerosol, mixed carbonaceous aerosol, crustal/Saharan dust and total traffic. The results obtained by PMF were further tested inter alia, by comparing them to those obtained by two other receptor modelling techniques: Constrained Weighted Non-negative Matrix Factorization (CW – NMF) and Chemical Mass Balance (CMB). The results of these tests suggest that the solution obtained by PMF, is valid, indicating that for this particular airshed PMF managed to extract most of the information about the aerosol sources affecting the receptor – even from a dataset with a limited number of samples.

Organic and elemental carbon were measured both in daily PM10 and PM2.5 and in 6 h range time PM2.5 samples collected from September 2015 to October 2015 in a coastal rural site near Brindisi in the Apulia region (Italy), in order to determine factors affecting the carbonaceous aerosol variations. Carbon content (total carbon TC) represented a considerable fraction for both PM10 and PM2.5. In particular, in PM10 samples, organic carbon (OC) varied from 1.06 to 18.32 μg m−3 with a mean concentration of 5 ± 4 μg m−3 and EC varied from 0.11 to 0.88 μg m−3 with a mean value of 0.41 ± 0.19 μg m−3. In PM2.5 samples, OC varied from 0.54 to 12.91 μg m−3 with a mean concentration of 3.5 ± 2.8 μg m−3 and EC varied from 0.11 to 0.85 μg m−3 with a mean value of 0.35 ± 0.18 μg m−3. The highest values for both parameters were recorded when the air masses were coming from NE Europe and when Saharan Dust events were recognized. The results show that OC and EC exhibited higher concentrations during the night hours, suggesting that stable atmosphere and lower mixing conditions play important roles for the accumulation of air pollutants and promote condensation or adsorption of semivolatile organic compounds. In samples from a Saharan Dust event and in samples with the lowest and the highest OCsec, ATR-FTIR analysis allowed us to identify organic functional groups including the non-acid organic hydroxyl C–OH group (e.g., sugars, anhydrosugars, and polyols), carbonyl C=O group, carboxylic acid COOH group, aromatic and aliphatic unsaturated C=C–H group, aliphatic saturated C–C–H group, and amine NH2 group. Some inorganic ions were also identified: carbonates, sulfate, silicate, and ammonium. The dusty samples are mainly characterized by the presence of carbonate and hydrogen sulfate ions and by kaolinite (absorption at 914 and 1010 cm−1), while in samples with air masses coming from the NE, OC is mainly characterized by aliphatic and aromatic C–H and O–H and N–H groups (absorptions in the range 3500–2700 cm−1) and by the presence of organonitrate, aromatic amide and amine, and carboxylic acids (absorptions at 1630 and 1770–1700 cm−1).

The MUGAST-AGATA-VAMOS set-up at GANIL combines the MUGAST highly-segmented silicon array with the state-of-the-art AGATA array and the large acceptance VAMOS spectrometer. The mechanical and electronics integration copes with the constraints of maximum efficiency for each device, in particular {\gamma}-ray transparency for the silicon array. This complete set-up offers a unique opportunity to perform exclusive measurements of direct reactions with the radioactive beams from the SPIRAL1 facility. The performance of the set-up is described through its commissioning and two examples of transfer reactions measured during the campaign. High accuracy spectroscopy of the nuclei of interest, including cross-sections and angular distributions, is achieved through the triple-coincidence measurement. In addition, the correction from Doppler effect of the {\gamma}-ray energies is improved by the detection of the light particles and the use of two-body kinematics and a full rejection of the background contributions is obtained through the identification of heavy residues. Moreover, the system can handle high intensity beams (up to 108 pps). The particle identification based on the measurement of the time-of-flight between MUGAST and VAMOS and the reconstruction of the trajectories is investigated., Comment: 13 pages, 18 figures

Heavy metal excess in soil represents a critical problem for crop productivity. Among these pollutants, cadmium (Cd) is one of the most dangerous in terms of food-chain contamination. Two durum wheat near-isogenic lines (NILs) and 12 commercial varieties (cultivars Arcangelo, Aureo, Aziziah, Cappelli, Cirillo, Creso, Iride, Maestrale, Parsifal, Russello, Strongfield, and Svevo) of durum wheat were exposed to a nontoxic level of Cd to evaluate its concentration in grains, roots, and shoots, as well as effects on biomass production. Cultivar Iride showed the most interesting behavior because it stored large amounts of Cd in the roots, preventing its translocation to grains. On the contrary, Cirillo and Svevo genotypes were characterized by a high Cd concentration in the grains. Furthermore, a molecular characterization employing the ScOPC20 marker associated with the Cd uptake locus has shown the absence of the expected fragment in the Iride variety and in other varieties characterized by low Cd concentration, as well as the presence of it in high Cd-accumulating cultivars.

Background: $^{58}\mathrm{Ni}+^{64}\mathrm{Ni}$ is the first case where the influence of positive $Q$-value transfer channels on subbarrier fusion was evinced, in a very well known experiment by Beckerman et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 45, 1472 (1980)], by comparing with the two systems $^{58}\mathrm{Ni}+^{58}\mathrm{Ni}$ and $^{64}\mathrm{Ni}+^{64}\mathrm{Ni}$. Subsequent measurements on $^{64}\mathrm{Ni}+^{64}\mathrm{Ni}$ showed that fusion hindrance is clearly present in this case. On the other hand, no indication of hindrance can be observed for $^{58}\mathrm{Ni}+^{64}\mathrm{Ni}$ down to the measured level of 0.1 mb.Purpose: Measuring deep subbarrier fusion cross sections for $^{58}\mathrm{Ni}+^{64}\mathrm{Ni}$, where the influence of positive $Q$-value transfer channels on near-barrier fusion was evidenced previously, in order to investigate whether hindrance shows up.Methods: 167--200 MeV $^{58}\mathrm{Ni}$ beams from the XTU Tandem Accelerator of INFN-Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro were used, bombarding thin metallic $^{64}\mathrm{Ni}\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}(50\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{g}/{\mathrm{cm}}^{2})$ enriched to $99.6%$ in mass 64. An electrostatic beam deflector allowed fusion evaporation residues to be detected at very forward angles in a detector telescope.Results: The excitation function has been extended by two orders of magnitude downward. The cross sections for $^{58}\mathrm{Ni}+^{64}\mathrm{Ni}$ continue decreasing very smoothly below the barrier, down to $\ensuremath{\simeq}1\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{b}$. The logarithmic slope of the excitation function increases slowly, showing a tendency to saturate at the lowest energies. No maximum of the astrophysical $S$ factor is observed. Coupled-channel (CC) calculations using a Woods-Saxon potential and including inelastic excitations only underestimate the subbarrier cross sections by a large amount. Good agreement is found by adding two-nucleon transfer couplings to a schematical level. This behavior is quite different from what already observed for $^{64}\mathrm{Ni}+^{64}\mathrm{Ni}$ (no positive $Q$-value transfer channels available), where a clear low-energy maximum of the $S$ factor appears, and whose excitation function is overestimated by a standard Woods-Saxon CC calculation.Conclusions: No hindrance effect is observed in $^{58}\mathrm{Ni}+^{64}\mathrm{Ni}$ in the measured energy range. This trend at deep subbarrier energies reinforces the recent suggestion that the availability of several states following transfer with $Qg0$ effectively counterbalances the Pauli repulsion that, in general, is predicted to reduce tunneling probability inside the Coulomb barrier.

© 2019 American Physical Society. An analysis technique has been developed in order to mitigate energy summing due to sequential short-lived α decays from nuclei implanted into a silicon detector. Using this technique, α-decay spectroscopy of the N=130 isotones Ra218 (Z=88) and Th220 (Z=90) has been performed. The energies of the α particles emitted in the Ra218→Rn214 and Th220→Ra216 ground-state-to-ground-state decays have been measured to be 8381(4) keV and 8818(13) keV, respectively. The half-lives of the ground states of Ra218 and Th220 have been measured to be 25.99(10) μs and 10.4(4) μs, respectively. The half-lives of the ground states of the α-decay daughters, Rn214 and Ra216, have been measured to be 259(3) ns and 161(11) ns, respectively. Fine structure in the α decay of Ra218 has been observed for the first time, populating the 695-keV 21+ state in Rn214. The fine-structure α decay has an α-particle energy of 7715(40) keV and branching ratio bα=0.123(11)%.

The transitional nuclei $^{134}$Ba and $^{133}$Ba are investigated after multinucleon transfer employing the high-resolution Advanced GAmma Tracking Array coupled to the magnetic spectrometer PRISMA at the Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, Italy, and after fusion-evaporation reaction at the FN tandem accelerator of the University of Cologne, Germany. The Jπ=19/2+ state at 1942 keV in $^{133}$Ba is identified as an isomer with a half-life of 66.6(20)ns corresponding to a B(E1) value of 7.7(4)×10−6e2fm2 for the Jπ=19/2+ to Jπ=19/2− transition. The level scheme of $^{134}$Ba above the Jπ=10+ isomer is extended to approximately 6 MeV. A pronounced backbending is observed at ℏω=0.38 MeV along the positive-parity yrast band. The results are compared to the high-spin systematics of the Z=56 isotopes. Large-scale shell-model calculations employing the GCN50:82, SN100PN, SNV, PQM130, Realistic SM, and EPQQM interactions reproduce the experimental findings and elucidate the structure of the high-spin states. The shell-model calculations employing the GCN50:82 and PQM130 interactions reproduce alignment properties and provide detailed insight into the microscopic origin of this phenomenon in transitional $^{134}$Ba.

International audience; Sub-barrier fusion of the two near-by systems$^{36}$S +$^{50}$Ti,$^{51}$V has been measured at the Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro (INFN). Motivation for the experiment came from the possible effect of the non-zero spin of the ground state of the$^{51}$V nucleus on the sub-barrier excitation function, and in particular on the shape of the barrier distribution. No previous data were available for these two systems near the barrier. Our results show that the two measured excitation functions are very similar down to the level of 20-30μb. The same is true for the two barrier distributions. Coupled-channel calculations have been performed including the low energy excitations of both projectile and the two targets. We have indication that the low-lying levels in$^{51}$V can be interpreted in the weak-coupling scheme, that is,$^{51}$V (I) =$^{50}$Ti(2$^{+}$) ⊗ p(1f$_{7/2}$) and that the extra proton in the $ 1f_{7/2}$ shell does not have a significant influence on sub-barrier fusion.

The mercury isotopic chain is depicted as one of the best fields to observe many phenomena related to collectivity evolution as, for instance, shape transition, shape coexistence or shape staggering. In this context, the 189Hg presents several interesting aspects and is still relatively unexplored. The nucleus has been studied at the Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro using a fusion-evaporation reaction and the γ rays emitted have been detected by the GALILEO array, coupled with Neutron Wall and the GALILEO plunger. The presorting and the preliminary results are presented.

In recent years, a number of both theoretical and experimental investigations have been performed focusing on the zirconium isotopic chain. In particular, state-of-the-art Monte Carlo shell-model calculations predict shape coexistence in these isotopes. In this context, the 94Zr nucleus, which is believed to possess a nearly spherical ground state, is particularly interesting since the purported deformed structure is basedon the low-lying 02+ state, making it amenable for detailed study. In order to provide definitive conclusionson the shapes of the low-lying states, two complementary experiments to study 94Zr by means of low-energy Coulomb excitation were performed. This data will allow the quadrupole moments of the 21,2+ levels to be extracted as well as for the deformation parameters of the 01,2+ states to be determined and, thus, definitive conclusions to be drawn on the role of shape coexistence in this nucleus for the first time. The first experiment was performed at the INFN Legnaro National Laboratory with the GALILEO-SPIDER setup, which, for the first time, was coupled with 6 lanthanum bromide scintillators (LaBr3:Ce) in order to maximize the γ-ray detection effciency. The second experiment was performed at the Maier-Leibnitz Laboratory (MLL) in Munich and used a Q3D magnetic spectrograph to detect the scattered 12C ions following Coulomb excitation of 94Zr targets.

This short paper presents the investigation of reaction mechanism induced by 6Li through a particle­γ coincidence measurement. The data have been taken from a 6Li+89Y experimentwhich is performed inINFN-LNL, Italy. In this experiment, the light charged particles are detected by a Si­ball, named EUCLIDES, and the γ rays are collected by a HPGe detector array, called GALILEO. In this contribution, scientific motivations, experimental details and some results, such as α­γ analysis, are presented.

The presence of seniority-like isomers along the Z = 50 isotopic chain have been an experimental limitation to the investigation of the electromagnetic properties of the low-lying states in the light Sn nuclei. Combining a multi-nucleon transfer reaction with the Recoil-Distance Doppler-Shift technique, the lifetimes of the 21+ and 41+ excited states have been directly measured in the neutron-deficient 106, 108Sn isotopes for the very first time. The emitted γ rays were detected by the AGATA array, while the reactionproducts were uniquely identified by the VAMOS++ magnetic spectrometer. The control of the direct feeding of the statesby gating on the Total Kinetic Energy Loss, together with the unique capabilities of the two spectrometers, was crucial for the measurementin 108Sn.

In a fusion-evaporation reaction, nuclei are produced by evaporating light-charged particles and neutrons from the compound nucleus. Typically, a nucleus of interest is produced as a result of a part of the total cross-section and, in order to guarantee a good channel discrimination, a particle detector, like the EUCLIDES $4\pi$ Si-ball array, is necessary. EUCLIDES has been quoted in more than a hundred publications resulting from many experiments performed in combination with the EUROBALL and GASP $\gamma$-ray spectrometers. The present paper reports on the upgraded version of EUCLIDES, that is presently coupled to the new GALILEO $\gamma$-ray spectrometer, installed at the Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, INFN. The design, characteristics and performance of the EUCLIDES array are presented and discussed.

The band built on the Kπ = 8−, T1/2 = 9.4 ms isomer of 130Ba has been identified, filling the gap in the systematics of the dipole bands built on the 8− isomers in the N = 74 isotones from 128Xe to 138Gd. The use of the GALILEO array in conjunction with its ancillaries EUCLIDES and Neutron Wall, helped to firmly place the newly identified transitions on top of the long-lived isomer. The extracted gK and gR gyromagnetic factors are in agreement with the 7/2+[404] ⊗ 9/2−[514] two-neutron Nilsson configuration. Particle-rotor model calculations give an understanding of the limited degree of K mixing. The experimental information on the Kπ = 8− isomer of 130Ba is now the most complete among the K isomers of the N = 74 isotones.

The high-spin structures of 136Ba and 137Ba are investigated after multinucleon-transfer (MNT) and fusion-evaporation reactions. 136Ba is populated in a 136Xe+238U MNT reaction employing the high-resolution Advanced GAmma Tracking Array (AGATA) coupled to the magnetic spectrometer PRISMA at the Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, Italy, and in two 9Be + 130Te fusion-evaporation reactions using the High-efficiency Observatory for -Ray Unique Spectroscopy (HORUS) at the FN tandem accelerator of the University of Cologne, Germany. Furthermore, both isotopes are populated in an elusive reaction channel in the 11B+130Te fusion-evaporation reaction utilizing the HORUS -ray array. The level scheme above the J� = 10+ isomer in 136Ba is revised and extended up to an excitation energy of approx. 5.5 MeV. From the results of angular-correlation measurements, the Ex = 3707- and Ex = 4920-keV states are identified as the bandheads of positive- and negative-parity cascades. While the high-spin regimes of both 132Te and 134Xe are characterized by high-energy 12+ ! 10+ transitions, the 136Ba E2 ground-state band is interrupted by negativeparity states only a few hundred keV above the J� = 10+ isomer. Furthermore, spins are established for several hitherto unassigned high-spin states in 137Ba. The new results close a gap along the highspin structure of N < 82 Ba isotopes. Experimental results are compared to large-scale shell-model calculations employing the GCN50:82, Realistic SM, PQM130 and SN100PN interactions. The calculations suggest that the bandheads of the positive-parity bands in both isotopes are predominantly of proton character.

Excited states of odd-odd nucleus 92Nb and odd-A nucleus 93Nb were populated in the 6Li+ 89Y reaction with an incident energy of 34 MeV. The processes that produce 92,93Nb and can be measured by a combination of light charged particle and gamma ray measurements are discussed. Twenty new transitions are observed and eight new levels are constructed in 92Nb, and in addition two new transitions are added to the level scheme of 93Nb. Using shell model calculations, the low-lying structure of 92Nb is investigated and compared with the experimental results.

Airborne Particulate Matter (APM) is used by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a proxy indicator for ambient air pollution. For this reason the identification as well the quantification of the different sources influencing PM levels at a receptor are essential for the estimation and improvement of Air Quality. The Source Apportionment at receptor site is reliable using receptor modelling techniques [1, 2]. Receptor models, relying on multivariate statistical methods (such as Positive Matrix Factorization – PMF), require the inputting of a matrix composed of a relatively large number of samples to function correctly [3]. A number of publications have sought to define objective criteria aimed at establishing the minimum number of samples for use with these receptor models. However, the issue is far from settled. Results of a source apportionment exercise using positive matrix factorization (PMF) for PM10 and PM2.5 are reported. This study is based on a small dataset of 29 PM10 and 33 PM2.5 samples for a receptor in a rural setup in Apulia (Southern Italy). Running PMF on the two size fractions separately resulted in the model not functioning correctly. We therefore, augmented the size of the dataset by aggregating the PM10 and PM2.5 data. The 5 factor solution obtained for the aggregated data was fairly rotationally stable, and was further refined by the rotational tools included in USEPA PMF v5. These refinements include the application of constraints on the solution, based on our knowledge of the chemical composition of the aerosol sources affecting the receptor. Additionally, the uncertainties associated with this solution were fully characterised using the improved error estimation techniques in USEPA PMF v5. The results of the error estimation techniques in PMF (BS, DISP and BS – DISP) show reasonable uncertainties in the tracer species. Five factors in all were isolated by PMF: ammonium sulfate, sea salt, mixed carbonaceous aerosol, crustal/Saharan dust and total traffic. These results obtained by PMF were further tested inter alia, by comparing them to those obtained by two other receptor modelling techniques: constrained weighted non-negative matrix factorization (CW – NMF) and chemical mass balance (CMB). The PMF results were confirmed by CW – NMF, while the CMB estimates

Several new bands have been identified in 130Ba, among which there is one with band-head spin 8+. Its properties are in agreement with the Fermi-aligned \nu h11/2^2 , 7/2+[523] \otimes 9/2-[514] Nilsson configuration. This is the first observation of a two-quasiparticle t-band in the A=130 mass region. The t-band is fed by a dipole band involving two additional h11/2 protons. The odd-spin partners of the proton and neutron S-bands and the ground-state band at high spins are also newly identified. The observed bands are discussed using several theoretical models, which strongly suggest the coexistence of prolate and oblate shapes polarized by rotation aligned two-proton and two-neutron configurations, as well as prolate collective rotations around axes with different orientations. With the new results, 130Ba presents one of the best and most complete sets of collective excitations that a gamma-soft nucleus can manifest at medium and high spins, revealing a diversity of shapes and rotations for the nuclei in the A = 130 mass region., Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures

A new device, the GALILEO plunger, has been developed for lifetime measurement studies using the GALILEO γ -ray detector array at the Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro (LNL) in Legnaro, Italy. This plunger device holds two stretched metal foils in the beam path for the use of the recoil distance Doppler-shift technique in order to measure lifetimes of nuclear excited states in the range of 1 ps to 1 ns. The compact design allows one to combine different auxiliary detectors with the plunger device inside the target chamber and takes care of high γ -ray transparency. The design and control of the device are presented in this paper, together with lifetimes of excited states in 180Pt measured within the first in-beam commissioning run.

Transfer reactions have always been of great importance for nuclear structure and reaction mechanism studies. So far, in multinucleon transfer studies, proton pickup channels have been completely identified in atomic and mass numbers at energies close to the Coulomb barrier only in few cases. We measured the multinucleon transfer reactions in the 40Ar+208Pb system near the Coulomb barrier, by employing the PRISMA magnetic spectrometer. By using the most neutron-rich stable 40Ar beam we could populate, besidesneutron pickup and proton stripping channels, also neutron stripping and proton pickup channels. Comparison ofcross sections between different systems with the 208Pb target and with projectiles going from neutron-poor to neutron-rich nuclei, as well as between the data and GRAZING calculations, was carried out.Finally, recent results concerning the measurement of the excitation function from the Coulomb barrier to far below for the 92Mo+54Fe system, where both proton stripping and pickup channels were populated with similar strength, will be discussed.

Grahn, Tuomas/0000-0002-6255-2279; Herzan, Andrej/0000-0002-6736-7638; Cullen, Dave/0000-0002-0041-1606; Barber, Liam/0000-0002-7409-9352; Keatings, James Michael/0000-0003-4271-8021; SAYGI, BAHADIR/0000-0001-5406-506X; Greenlees, Paul/0000-0002-5986-5274; Spagnoletti, Pietro/0000-0002-7674-989X; Parr, Edward/0000-0001-6204-4461; Bondili, S Nara Singh/0000-0002-4096-2429, WOS: 000494939000022, This letter reports lifetime measurements of excited states in the odd-N nucleus W-163 using the recoil-distance Doppler shift method to probe the core polarising effect of the i(13/2) neutron orbital on the underlying soft triaxial even-even core. the ratio B(E2:21/2(+) -> 17/2(+))/B(E2:17/2(+) -> 13/2(+)) is consistent with the predictions of the collective rotational model. the deduced B(E2) values provide insights into the validity of collective model predictions for heavy transitional nuclei and a geometric origin for the anomalous B(E2) ratios observed in nearby even-even nuclei is proposed. (C) 2019 the Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V., UK Science and Technology Facilities CouncilScience & Technology Facilities Council (STFC) [ST/P004598/1, ST/L005670/1, ST/L005794/1]; Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK)Turkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [117F508]; EU HORIZON2020 programme "Infrastructures" [654002]; Academy of Finland under the Finnish Centre of Excellence Programme (Nuclear and Accelerator Based Physics Programme at JYFL); Science and Technology Facilities CouncilScience & Technology Facilities Council (STFC) [1643549] Funding Source: researchfish, This work has been supported by the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council under grants ST/P004598/1, ST/L005670/1 and ST/L005794/1; the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK Project No: 117F508); the EU HORIZON2020 programme "Infrastructures", project number: 654002 (ENSAR2) and by the Academy of Finland under the Finnish Centre of Excellence Programme (Nuclear and Accelerator Based Physics Programme at JYFL). the UK/France (STFC/IN2P3) Loan Pool and GAMMAPOOL network are acknowledged for the HPGe escapesuppressed detectors of the JUROGAM II array.

Thermal paper is widely used as a print medium for different applications but it constitutes a tricky substrate for fingermark visualization. An earlier work (J Forensic Sci 2015;60:1034) reported how to visualize fingermarks on untreated thermal paper by illuminating the item with a UV-A light source. In the present paper, the potential of the near infrared (NIR) luminescence has been tested on thermal paper compared to the mentioned method. A controlled study was carried out utilizing eccrine enriched fingermarks. The promising outcomes obtained were further confirmed by performing a pseudo-operational trial. Data clearly showed that the use of the NIR filter gave better results. Finally, preliminary tests suggested a different mechanism of reaction induced by fingermarks with respect to the one behind the thermal printing. Thus, NIR luminescence represents a refinement to the suite of optical examination processes, including the potential to increase the number of marks recovered in a noncontact, nondestructive way.

International audience; A detailed comparative study of the sub-barrier fusion of the two near-by systems ^36S + ^50Ti, ^51V was performed at the National Laboratories of Legnaro (INFN). We aimed to investigate the possible effect of the non-zero spin of the ground state of the ^51V nucleus on the sub-barrier excitation function, and in particular on the shape of the barrier distribution. The comparison of the exctiation functions and barrier distributions highlighted a very similar behavior, down to the level of 20–30 µb. Coupled-channels calculations have been performed including the low energy excitations of both projectile and targets and the results are in very good agreement with the data. This indicates that the low-lying levels in ^51V can be interpreted in the weak-coupling scheme and that the extra proton in the f_7/2 shell does not have a significant influence on sub-barrier fusion.

The evidence that extracellular matrix (ECM) components could represent new targets for drugs designed to approach degenerative disease, requires their analysis. Before the analysis, proteins should be extracted from ECM and solubilized. Currently, few protocols for ECM proteins extraction and solubilization are available in literature, and most of them are based mainly on the use of proteolytic enzymes, such as trypsin, which often lead to proteins damage. Moreover, no methods have been so far proposed to solubilize Schwann Cell ECM, which may represent an important target for the therapy of neurodegenerative disorders. In our study, we propose to solubilize SC ECM through the use of surfactants and urea. We compared our method of solubilization, with one of that proposed in literature for a general ECM, mainly based on the use of enzymes. We want to highlight the benefit of solubilizing SC ECM, avoiding the use of proteolytic enzymes. To compare the amount of proteins extracted with both methods, MicroBCA assay was used, while the quality of the proteins extracted was observed through the SDS-PAGE. The results obtained confirm a better solubilization of SC ECM proteins with the proposed protocol, both quantitatively and qualitatively, showing a higher concentration of proteins extracted and a better enrichment of protein fractions, if compared to the enzyme-based protocol. Our results show that SC ECM could be efficiently solubilized through the use of surfactant and urea, avoiding the use of enzyme-base methods. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 104A: 3175-3180, 2016.

Detailed information on isomeric states in A ≈ 135 nuclei is exploited to benchmark shell-model calculations in the region northwest of doubly-magic nucleus 132Sn. The N = 79 isotones 133Xe and 135Ba are studied after multinucleon transfer (MNT) in the 136Xe + 208Pb reaction employing the high-resolution Advanced GAmma Tracking Array (AGATA) coupled to the magnetic spectrometer PRISMA at the Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, Italy and in a pulsed-beam experiment at the FN tandem accelerator of the University of Cologne, Germany utilizing a 9Be+130Te fusion-evaporation reaction at a beam energy of 40 MeV. Isomeric states are identified via delayed γ-ray spectroscopy. Hitherto tentative excitation energy, spin, and parity assignments of the 2107-keV Jπ = 23/2+ isomer in 133Xe are confirmed and a half-life of T1/2 = 8.64(13) ms is measured. The 2388-keV state in 135Ba is identified as a Jπ = 23/2+ isomer with a half-life of 1.06(4) ms. The new results show a smooth onset of isomeric Jπ = 23/2+ states along the N = 79 isotones and close a gap in the high-spin systematics towards the recently investigated Jπ = 23/2+ isomer in 139Nd. The resulting systematics of M2 reduced transition probabilities is discussed within the framework of the nuclear shell model. Latest large-scale shell-model calculations employing the SN100PN, GCN50:82, SN100-KTH, and a realistic effective interaction reproduce the experimental findings generally well and give insight into the structure of the isomers.

Lifetime measurements of excited states of the light N = 52 isotones 88 Kr , 86 Se , and 84 Ge have been performed, using the recoil distance Doppler shift method and VAMOS and AGATA spectrometers for particle identification and gamma spectroscopy, respectively. The reduced electric quadrupole transition probabilities B ( E 2 ; 2 + → 0 + ) and B ( E 2 ; 4 + → 2 + ) were obtained for the first time for the hard-to-reach 84 Ge . While the B ( E 2 ; 2 + → 0 + ) values of 88 Kr , 86 Se saturate the maximum quadrupole collectivity offered by the natural valence ( 3 s , 2 d , 1 g 7 / 2 , 1 h 11 / 2 ) space of an inert 78 Ni core, the value obtained for 84 Ge largely exceeds it, suggesting that shape coexistence phenomena, previously reported at N ≲ 49 , extend beyond N = 50 . The onset of collectivity at Z = 32 is understood as due to a pseudo-SU(3) organization of the proton single-particle sequence reflecting a clear manifestation of pseudospin symmetry. It is realized that the latter provides actually reliable guidance for understanding the observed proton and neutron single particle structure in the whole medium-mass region, from Ni to Sn, pointing towards the important role of the isovector-vector ρ field in shell-structure evolution.

Background Among cereals, durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. subsp. durum) accumulates cadmium (Cd) at higher concentration if grown in Cd-polluted soils. Since cadmium accumulation is a risk for human health, the international trade organizations have limited the acceptable concentration of Cd in edible crops. Therefore, durum wheat cultivars accumulating low cadmium in grains should be preferred by farmers and consumers. To identify the response of durum wheat to the presence of Cd, the transcriptomes of roots and shoots of Creso and Svevo cultivars were sequenced after a 50-day exposure to 0.5 μM Cd in hydroponic solution. Results No phytotoxic effects or biomass reduction was observed in Creso and Svevo plants at this Cd concentration. Despite this null effect, cadmium was accumulated in root tissues, in shoots and in grains suggesting a good cadmium translocation rate among tissues. The mRNA sequencing revealed a general transcriptome rearrangement after Cd treatment and more than 7000 genes were found differentially expressed in root and shoot tissues. Among these, the up-regulated genes in roots showed a clear correlation with cadmium uptake and detoxification. In particular, about three hundred genes were commonly up-regulated in Creso and Svevo roots suggesting a well defined molecular strategy characterized by the transcriptomic activation of several transcription factors mainly belonging to bHLH and WRKY families. bHLHs are probably the activators of the strong up-regulation of three NAS genes, responsible for the synthesis of the phytosiderophore nicotianamine (NA). Moreover, we found the overall up-regulation of the methionine salvage pathway that is tightly connected with NA synthesis and supply the S-adenosyl methionine necessary for NA biosynthesis. Finally, several vacuolar NA chelating heavy metal transporters were vigorously activated. Conclusions In conclusion, the exposure of durum wheat to cadmium activates in roots a complex gene network involved in cadmium translocation and detoxification from heavy metals. These findings are confident with a role of nicotianamine and methionine salvage pathway in the accumulation of cadmium in durum wheat. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12870-018-1473-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Zakopane Conference on Nuclear Physics - Extremes of the Nuclear Landscape -- AUG 26-SEP 02, 2018 -- Zakopane, POLAND, WOS: 000463866500047, A new neutron multiplicity filter NEDA, after a decade of design, R&D and construction, was employed in its first physics campaign with the AGATA spectrometer. Properties and performance of the array are discussed., Swedish Research CouncilSwedish Research Council [VR 2014-6644]; Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK project)Turkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [117F114, 114F473]; National Science Centre, Poland (NCN) [2017/25/B/ST2/01569, 2016/22/M/ST2/00269, 2014/14/M/ST2/00738, 2013/08/M/ST2/00257]; UK STFCScience & Technology Facilities Council (STFC) [ST/J000124/1, ST/L005727/1, STL005735/1, ST/P003885/1]; Generalitat Valenciana, SpainGeneralitat Valenciana; MICIU, Spain [PROM-ETEO II/2014/019, FPA2017-84756-C4, SEV-2014-0398]; E.C. FEDER fundsEuropean Union (EU), This study was supported by the Swedish Research Council (contract number VR 2014-6644), the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK project Nos. 117F114 and 114F473), the National Science Centre, Poland (NCN) (grants Nos. 2017/25/B/ST2/01569, 2016/22/M/ST2/00269, 2014/14/M/ST2/00738 and 2013/08/M/ST2/00257) the UK STFC under grant Nos. ST/J000124/1, ST/L005727/1, STL005735/1, ST/P003885/1, the Generalitat Valenciana and MICIU, Spain, grants PROM-ETEO II/2014/019, FPA2017-84756-C4, Severo Ochoa SEV-2014-0398 and by the E.C. FEDER funds.1

The transitional nucleus 131Xe is investigated after multinucleon transfer (MNT) in the 136Xe+208Pb and 136Xe+238U reactions employing the high-resolution Advanced GAmma Tracking Array (AGATA) coupled to the magnetic spectrometer PRISMA at the Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, Italy and as an elusive reaction product in the fusion-evaporation reaction 124Sn(11B,p3n) 131Xe employing the HORUS γ-ray array coupled to a double-sided silicon strip detector (DSSSD) at the University of Cologne, Germany. The level scheme of 131Xe is extended to 5 MeV. A pronounced backbending is observed at ~ω ≈ 0.4 MeV along the negative-parity one-quasiparticle νh11/2(α = −1/2) band. The results are compared to the high-spin systematics of the Z = 54 isotopes and the N = 77 isotones. Large-scale shell-model calculations (LSSM) employing the PQM130, SN100PN, GCN50:82, SN100-KTH and a realistic effective interaction reproduce the experimental findings and provide guidance to elucidate the structure of the high-spin states. Further calculations in 129−132Xe provide insight into the changing nuclear structure along the Xe chain towards the N = 82 shell closure. Proton occupancy in the π 0h11/2 orbital is found to be decisive for the description of the observed backbending phenomenon.

The measurement of one-neutron stripping cross sections for the $^{89}\mathrm{Y}(^{6}\mathrm{Li},^{5}\mathrm{Li})^{90}\mathrm{Y}^{*}$ reaction at 22 MeV and 34 MeV is reported, using both in-beam and off-beam $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray spectroscopy methods. Characteristic $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ lines of $^{90}\mathrm{Y}$ are clearly identified by both the $\ensuremath{\gamma}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ and proton-$\ensuremath{\gamma}$ coincidence methods. The obtained cross section of one-neutron stripping at 34 MeV is found to be much smaller than that at 22 MeV. The one-neutron stripping cross sections measured for this system have the same order of magnitude as the one measured for the same reaction for the $^{6}\mathrm{Li}+^{96}\mathrm{Zr}$ system at energies around the Coulomb barrier. Parameter-free coupled reaction channel calculations agree quite well with the experimental data. Theoretical study of the effect of the one-neutron transfer on the elastic total fusion cross section is performed.

PM10 and PM2.5 samples simultaneously collected at a costal site of south eastern Italy have been analysed with the main aim of determining the atmospheric dust contribution and investigating the dust source impact. Low volume (2.3 m3 h_1) samplers were used to collect 24-h PM10 and PM2.5 samples on 47-mm-diameter quartz fibre substrates, pre-heated for 1 h at 600 °C, and Teflon fibre substrates. Organic and elemental carbon, inorganic ions, and selected metals were measured in the collected samples. EC and OC were determined by thermal optical transmittance technique (Sunset Carbon Analyzer) using the NIOSH5040 protocol in a 1.5 cm2 punch of the filter samples. Soluble ions (SO42-, NO3-, NH4+, Cl-, Na+, K+, Mg2+ and Ca2+) were analysed via High Performance Ion Chromatography (HPIC, Dionex DX-500 System). Eight trace elements (Ni, Cu, V, Mn, As, Pb, Cr, Sb) were analyzed via Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (GF-AAS, Perkin Elmer Analyst 600 System). Four trace elements (Fe, Al, Zn and Ti) were analysed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES, Varian Liberty 110 spectrometer). Moreover, ATR-FTIR analysis were performed on samples of Saharan Dust event and samples characterized by mass air transported from NE Europe. ATR-FTIR analysis let identify organic functional groups including non-acid organic hydroxyl C-OH group (eg sugars, anhydrosugars, and polyols) and carbonyl C=O group, carboxylic acid COOH group, aromatic and aliphatic unsaturated C=C-H group, aliphatic saturated C-C-H group, and amine NH2 group. Some inorganic ions have also been identified: carbonates, sulfate, silicate and ammonium. In this work, the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) has been used to investigate surface chemical composition of particulate matter. The mass closure analysis have been applied to the chemically speciated PM10 and PM2.5 samples to identify main natural and anthropogenic sources and determine the atmospheric dust contribution. Analytical back trajectories combined with statistical analyses and satellite true colour images were used to know about the location of potential source regions and to determine the contribution of long range transported air masses. In particular the effect of Sahara dust outbreak on PM composition was evaluated.

Particulate air pollution is a mixture of solid and/or liquid particles that vary in size, composition and origin. These particles enter the atmosphere by natural pathways or by the action of man. The undeniable effect of the presence of particulates in the atmosphere is the growing number of people affected from respiratory problems, lung cancer and cardiopulmonary diseases. Source apportionment based on bulk chemical analysis often uses advanced statistical tools for a detailed source categorization. This study is aimed to perform a source apportionment by the PMF5.0 of PM10 and PM2.5 collected simultaneously in a costal rural site located in the Puglia region (South-Eastern Italy).

Lifetimes of high-spin states have been measured in the semi-magic (N= 50) nucleus 94Ru. Excited states in 94Ru were populated in the 58Ni(40Ca, 4p)94Ru* fusion-evaporation reaction at the Grand Accélérateur National d’Ions Lourds (GANIL) accelerator complex. DSAM lifetime analysis was performed on the Doppler broadened line shapes in energy spectra obtained from ?-rays emitted while the residual nuclei were slowing down in a thick 6mg/cm^2 metallic 58Ni target. In total eight excited-state lifetimes in the angular momentum range I= (13 - 20) ? have been measured, five of which were determined for the first time. The corresponding B(M1) and B(E2) reduced transition strengths are discussed within the framework of large-scale shell model calculations to study the contribution of different particle-hole configurations, in particular for analyzing contributions from core-excited configurations. © 2018, SIF, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature., National Brain Research Centre Vetenskapsrådet Göran Gustafssons Stiftelse för Naturvetenskaplig och Medicinsk Forskning Firat University Scientific Research Projects Management Unit Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad Science and Technology Facilities Council, We thank the operators of the GANIL cyclotrons for providing the beam, their cooperation and technical support. We would also like to thank the EXOGAM, DIAMANT and Neutron Wall Collaborations. This work was supported by the Swedish Research Council under Grant Nos. 621-2014-5558, 621-2012-3805, and 621-2013-4323 and the Göran Gustafsson foundation, the Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of Istanbul University Project No. 47886 and 48101, the UK STFC under grant number ST/L005727/1, the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad under grant FPA2014-52823-C2-1-P and the program Severo Ochoa (SEV-2014-0398), the Polish National Research Centre contracts no. 2013/08/M/ST2 /00257 (LEA COPIGAL) and 2016/22/M/ST2/00269, the Scientific and Technological Council of Turkey (Proj. no. 114F473). BMN, IK, ZD and JT acknowledge the financial support of GINOP-2.3.3-15-2016-00034. IK was supported by National Research, Development and Innovation Office NK-FIH, contract number PD 124717. The computations were performed on resources provided by the Swedish National Infrastructure for Computing (SNIC) at PDC, KTH, Stockholm.

Investigation of the breakup and transfer effect of weakly bound nuclei on the fusion process has been an interesting research topic in the past several years. In comparison with radioactive ion beam (RIB), the beam intensities of stable weakly bound nuclei such as 6,7Li and 9Be, which have significant breakup probability, are orders of magnitude higher. Precise fusion measurements induced by these nuclei have already been performed. However, the conclusion of reaction dynamics was not clear and has contradiction. In order to have a proper understanding of the influence of breakup and transfer of weakly bound projectiles on the fusion process, the 6Li+89Y experiment with incident energies of 22 MeV and 34 MeV was performed on Galileo array in combination with Si-ball EUCLIDES at Legnaro National Laboratory (LNL) in Italy. Using the coincidence by the charged particles and γ-rays, the different reaction channels can be clearly identified.

An in-beam test of two pixel-type silicon detectors of the TRACE detector project has been performed at Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro (Italy). The aim was to investigate the lowest kinetic energy values at which isotopic identification of heavy-ion reactions products with mass $ A\sim 10$ is possible, by using a single-layer silicon detector. Two separate read-out chains, analog and digital, were used, and the Pulse Shape Analysis technique was employed to obtain the particle identification matrices for the digitally processed data. The results confirmed the high capability of the Pulse Shape Analysis method which can be used for light ion identification, with performances similar to the analog approach. Separation in both charge and mass was obtained for Li and Be isotopes, however, the presence of a significant background from alpha particles severely limited the data analysis in the lower energy region. Due to this effect, the identification of the light products (7, 6Li isotopes) could be possible down to $ \sim 24.5$ MeV only, while the 9, 7Be isotopes were separable down to $ \sim 29$ MeV. This gives the value of $ < 4$ MeV/nucleon as the lowest kinetic energy for light products identification by using the pixel-type detectors of the TRACE project, in the present experimental conditions.

PM10 and PM2.5 samples simultaneously collected at a suburban site of south eastern Italy have been analysed with the main aim of determining the atmospheric dust contribution and investigating the dust source impact. Low volume samplers were used to collect 24-h PM10 and PM2.5. Organic and elemental carbon, inorganic ions, and selected metals were measured in the collected samples. EC and OC were determined by thermal optical transmittance technique (Sunset Carbon Analyzer), soluble ions (SO42-, NO3-, NH4+, Cl-, Na+, K+, Mg2+ and Ca2+) were analysed via High Performance Ion Chromatography (HPIC, Dionex DX-500 System); eight trace elements (Ni, Cu, V, Mn, As, Pb, Cr, Sb) were analyzed via Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (GF-AAS, Perkin Elmer Analyst 600 System); four trace elements (Fe, Al, Zn and Ti) were analysed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES, Varian Liberty 110 spectrometer). Moreover, ATR-FTIR analysis were performed on samples of Saharan Dust event and samples characterized by mass air transported from NE Europe. ATR-FTIR analysis let identify organic functional groups including non-acid organic hydroxyl C-OH group (eg sugars, anhydrosugars, and polyols) and carbonyl C=O group, carboxylic acid COOH group, aromatic and aliphatic unsaturated C=C-H group, aliphatic saturated C-C-H group, and amine NH2 group. Some inorganic ions have also been identified: carbonates, sulfate, silicate and ammonium. In this work, the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) has been used to investigate surface chemical composition of particulate matter. The mass closure analysis have been applied to the chemically speciated PM10 and PM2.5 samples to identify main natural and anthropogenic sources and determine the atmospheric dust contribution. Analytical back trajectories combined with statistical analyses and satellite true colour images were used to know about the location of potential source regions and to determine the contribution of long range transported air masses. In particular the effect of Sahara dust outbreak on PM composition was evaluated.