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The mass-energy distributions of fragments of the reaction 32S + 232Th leading to the formation of 264Sg (Z = 106) at energies of incident ions 32S of 165, 181 and 200 MeV are measured. The contribution from the quasifission process is found at energies below and above the Coulomb barrier in the region of symmetric masses (АCN/2 ± 20). A high-energy symmetric fission mode is found at an energy of 165 MeV, which corresponds to the excitation energy of the compound 264Sg nucleus 45 MeV.

A better knowledge of $(n,xn)$ reaction cross sections is important for both reaction modeling and energy applications. This article focuses on inelastic scattering of neutrons off $^{238}\mathrm{U}$ for which improvements are needed to better constrain evaluations and solve inconsistencies in nuclear power reactor calculations. A new precise measurement of $(n,xn\ensuremath{\gamma})$ reaction cross sections on $^{238}\mathrm{U}$ has been performed at the GELINA (Geel Electron LINear Accelerator) neutron facility operated by EC-JRC-Geel (Belgium) with the GRAPhEME (GeRmanium array for Actinides PrEcise MEasurements) setup. The prompt $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray spectroscopy method coupled to time-of-flight measurements is used to extract $(n,xn\ensuremath{\gamma})$ cross section values which can be further combined to infer the total neutron inelastic scattering cross section. Cross section data for 18 $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ transitions (five never measured before) are presented and compared to the data in the literature. Emphasis is especially given to the uncertainty determination to produce partial cross section data as accurate as possible. Due to intrinsic limitations of the experimental method, the use of additional nuclear structure information coupled with theoretical modeling is required to determine the total $(n,{n}^{\ensuremath{'}})$ cross section over the whole neutron energy range. We have investigated modeling aspects of the $^{238}\mathrm{U}(n,{n}^{\ensuremath{'}}\ensuremath{\gamma})$ cross sections related to the description of compound nucleus and preequilibirum mechanisms as well as the discrete part of nuclear structure. Through comparison between experimental and calculated $(n,{n}^{\ensuremath{'}}\ensuremath{\gamma})$ cross sections, we pinpoint inaccuracies in the description of specific reaction mechanisms and challenge recently implemented models. This helps improving the whole modeling of the $(n,{n}^{\ensuremath{'}})$ reaction.

The reduced transition probabilities B ( E 2 ; 0 g.s. + → 2 1 + , 2 2 + ) in Zn 70 and the full B ( E 2 ; 0 g.s. + → 2 + ) strength up to S n = 7.79 MeV in Ni 68 have been determined at the LISE/GANIL facility using the Coulomb-excitation technique at intermediate beam energy on a Pb 208 target. The γ rays emitted in-flight were detected with an array of 46 BaF 2 crystals. The angles of the deflected nuclei were determined in order to disentangle and extract the Coulomb and nuclear contributions to the excitation of the 2 + states. The measured B ( E 2 ; 0 g.s. + → 2 1 + ) of 1432(124) e 2 fm 4 for Zn 70 falls in the lower part of the published values which clustered either around 1600 or above 2000 e 2 fm 4 , while the B ( E 2 ; 0 g.s. + → 2 2 + ) of 53(7) e 2 fm 4 agrees very well with the two published values. The relatively low B ( E 2 ; 0 g.s. + → 2 1 + ) of 301(38) e 2 fm 4 for Ni 68 agrees with previous studies and confirms a local magicity at Z = 28 , N = 40 . Combining the results of the low-energy spectra of Ni 68 and Zn 70 and their shell-model interpretations, it is interesting to notice that four different shapes (spherical, oblate, prolate, and triaxial) are present. Finally, a summed E 2 strength of only about 150 e 2 fm 4 has been found experimentally at high excitation energy, likely due to proton excitations across the Z = 28 gap. The experimental distribution of this high-energy E 2 excitation agrees with shell-model calculations, but its strength is about two times weaker.

Secondary beams ( 6 Li, 7 Be, 8 B) were obtained by the separation of fragmentation products of a 15 N ion beam (50 MeV/A) impinging on a Be target using the COMBAS spectrometer. The secondary products were detected by a telescope consisting of five Si-detectors (dE) and a stop CsI(Tl) detector. The telescope allowed us to achieve unambiguous particle identification of fragments originating from incident secondary beams as well as their reaction products resulting from interaction with the Si detectors, chosen as a secondary target. This way, break-up reactions of 6 Li, 7 Be and 8 B have been studied in this experiment, in particular the longitudinal momentum distributions of 7 Be fragments in the break-up of 8 B on a Si have been measured at 30 MeV/A.

We report here the results of a study of the $\beta$ decay of the proton-rich Ge isotopes, $^{60}$Ge and $^{62}$Ge, produced in an experiment at the RIKEN Nishina Center. We have improved our knowledge of the half-lives of $^{62}$Ge (73.5(1) ms), $^{60}$Ge (25.0(3) ms) and its daughter nucleus, $^{60}$Ga (69.4(2) ms). We measured individual $\beta$-delayed proton and $\gamma$ emissions and their related branching ratios. Decay schemes and absolute Fermi and Gamow-Teller transition strengths have been determined. The mass excesses of the nuclei under study have been deduced. A total $\beta$-delayed proton-emission branching ratio of 67(3)% has been obtained for $^{60}$Ge. New information has been obtained on the energy levels populated in $^{60}$Ga and on the 1/2$^-$ excited state in the $\beta p$ daughter $^{59}$Zn. We extracted a ground state to ground state feeding of 85.3(3)% for the decay of $^{62}$Ge. Eight new $\gamma$ lines have been added to the de-excitation of levels populated in the $^{62}$Ga daughter.

The structure of ³³Si was studied by a one-neutron knockout reaction from a ³⁴Si beam at 98.5 MeV/u incident on a 9 Be target. The prompt γ rays following the de-excitation of ³³Si were detected using the GRETINA γ -ray tracking array while the reaction residues were identified on an event-by-event basis in the focal plane of the S800 spectrometer at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. The presently derived spectroscopic factor values, C 2 S , for the 3 / 2 + and 1 / 2 + states, corresponding to a neutron removal from the 0 d 3 / 2 and 1 s 1 / 2 orbitals, agree with shell model calculations and point to a strong N = 20 shell closure. Three states arising from the more bound 0 d 5 / 2 orbital are proposed, one of which is unbound by about 930 keV. The sensitivity of this experiment has also confirmed a weak population of 9 / 2 − and 11 / 2 − 1 , 2 final states, which originate from a higher-order process. This mechanism may also have populated, to some fraction, the 3 / 2 − and 7 / 2 − negative-parity states, which hinders a determination of the C 2 S values for knockout from the normally unoccupied 1 p 3 / 2 and 0 f 7 / 2 orbits.

International audience; The overlap in the mass symmetric region of the reaction products from fusion-fission and quasifission complicates the assignment of symmetric events to complete fusion on the basis of the mass distribution alone. Additional observables, besides mass distribution, should be used. The approach proposed here relies on the fact that fusion-fission and quasifission are characterized by different timescales. Within this framework, we performed a detailed study to find out how timescales can be probed via angular momentum transfer as measured via γ-ray multiplicities. The proof of principle was carried out by measuring the γ rays in coincidence with fusion-fission and quasielastic binary fragments in the reaction S32 + Au197 at beam energy near the Coulomb barrier. The experiment was performed at the Accélérateur Linéaire Tandem à Orsay (ALTO) facility at the Institut De Physique Nucléaire (IPN) in Orsay (France) using a detection setup consisting of ORGAM (ORsay GAMma) and PARIS (Photon Array Radioactive Ion Stable beams) γ-detectors arrays coupled with the CORSET (CORrelation SETup) time-of-flight spectrometer. Results of the sensitivity of this method to distinguish reaction channels with different dynamics are discussed.

This paper reports cross-section measurements of the ($n,{n}^{\ensuremath{'}}$) and ($p,{p}^{\ensuremath{'}}$) reactions on $^{16}\mathrm{O}$ and $^{28}\mathrm{Si}$ at Geel Electron Linear Accelerator and at the 9-MV Tandem Accelerator of Horia Hulubei National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering, respectively. The main purpose was to measure the neutron- and proton-induced inelastic $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-production cross sections for all observed transitions in $^{16}\mathrm{O}$ and $^{28}\mathrm{Si}$, followed by the calculation of the corresponding total inelastic cross section. The results are compared with theoretical calculations performed using the talys 1.9 code, evaluated nuclear data, and previously reported experimental data. The broader goal of this work is to study whether and to what extent the neutron-induced inelastic cross sections of these nuclei can be inferred from those obtained using suitable charged particle reactions. We show that, by making use of the formal similarities between the neutron- and the proton-target optical model potentials and isospin symmetry in mirror nuclei, one can develop a procedure that combines experimental proton-induced inelastic cross sections with theoretical calculations to infer neutron inelastic cross sections. For $^{16}\mathrm{O}$ and $^{28}\mathrm{Si}$, the precision associated with this procedure is around 10--20% for most of the incident energy range.

Acta physica Polonica / B 51(3), 587 (2020). doi:10.5506/APhysPolB.51.587, Published by Inst. of Physics, Jagellonian Univ., Cracow

International audience; The features of fission fragments formed in the near barrier reaction $^{32}\hbox {S}$ + $^{197}\hbox {Au}$ ($E^\mathrm{lab}_\mathrm{beam}=166\,\hbox {MeV}$) are investigated. The measurement was performed at the ALTO facility of IPN Orsay, France, with the aim of clarifying the quantitative contribution of the quasi-fission process to the total fission events. The mass and total kinetic energy of the fission fragments were compared to the expectations of the liquid drop model, revealing an asymmetric fission component which may be traced back to a quasi-fission process mixed with the fusion–fission events. The $\gamma $-rays and neutrons measured in coincidence with the fission fragments were used to yield additional information for the discrimination of the two aforementioned mechanisms. All observed trends are consistent and fairly well reproduced by the statistical model.

International audience; The mass, energy and angular distributions of binary fragments formed in the reactions $^{64}$Ni + $^{238}$U, $^{58}$Fe + $^{244}$Pu, $^{52}$Cr + $^{248}$Cm, $^{54}$Cr + $^{248}$Cm at energies near the Coulomb barrier have been measured. The analysis of energy distributions of the symmetric fragments with mass numbers ${{{{A}_{{{\text{CN}}}}}} \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{{{A}_{{{\text{CN}}}}}} 2}} \right. \kern-0em} 2} \pm 20$ formed in these reactions have been applied to separate compound nucleus fission and quasi-fission. The estimated fusion probability for the reactions Cr, Fe, and Ni ions with actinide targets shows an exponential dependence on the mean fissility parameter of the system and shows also that reaction with Cr ions is more favorable for production of the super heavy element with Z = 120.

Neutron-removal cross-section ( σ−xn ) measurements of neutron-rich light nuclei were performed on the COMBAS fragment-separator with a multi-detector Si telescope at intermediate energies (22-34) MeV/nucleon. The removals of one neutron from 8 Li and 9 Be, two neutrons from 6 He and 10 Be and four neutrons from 8 He were observed from the reactions on a Si-CsI(Tl) telescope. Results of σ−xn for 6 He, 8 He, 8 Li, 9 Be and 10 Be nuclei were obtained and compared with those of previously measured data. The data indicate that 4 He is a good core within 6 He and 8 He. Furthermore, we found that 9,10 Be nuclei disintegrated by one- and two-neutron removal reaction, respectively.

Inclusive energy spectra have been measured for light charged particles emitted in the bombardment of Ta target by 48Ca ions at 261 MeV and 471 MeV. The reaction products were analyzed and detected by means of a ( ∆E × E ) telescope placed in the focal plane of a magnetic spectrometer located at forward angles with respect to the beam direction. In all the reactions studied light charged particles with an energy close to the respective calculated kinematic limit for a two-body exit channel are produced with relatively great probability. The results obtained make it possible to draw some conclusions about the reaction mechanism involving the emission of light charged particles.

Results for fusion and breakup fusion reaction ( 6 Li+ 194 Pt) are presented and compared with other experimental data and model calculations. A strong isotopic effect is observed when comparing our data with results from ( 6 Li+ 198 Pt)

Relatively high counting rates were registered in a proton inelastic scattering experiment on 16 O and 28 Si using HPGe detectors which was performed at the Tandem facility of IFIN-HH, Bucharest. In consequence, dead time corrections were needed in order to determine the absolute γ -production cross sections. Considering that the real counting rate follows a Poisson distribution, the dead time correction procedure is reformulated in statistical terms. The arriving time interval between the incoming events ( Δ t ) obeys an exponential distribution with a single parameter - the average of the associated Poisson distribution. We use this mathematical connection to calculate and implement the dead time corrections for the counting rates of the mentioned experiment. Also, exploiting an idea introduced by Pomme et al. , we describe a consistent method for calculating the dead time correction which completely eludes the complicated problem of measuring the dead time of a given detection system. Several comparisons are made between the corrections implemented through this method and by using standard (phenomenological) dead time models and we show how these results were used for correcting our experimental cross sections.

International audience; Secondary beams (6Li,7Be,8B) obtained by separation of fragmentation products of 15N beam (50 A MeV) impinging on a Be target using COMBAS spectrometer. The secondary products will be detected by a telescope consisting of five Si-detectors (dE) and CsI(Tl) detector (Er). By the dE-E method, the telescope allowed us to achieve unambiguous particle identification originating from incident secondary beams as well as theirs reaction products resulting from reactions with one of Si detectors chosen as the target. Accordingly, break-up reactions of 6Li, 7Be and 8B were studied in this experiment.

The structure of $^{34}$Si was studied through $\gamma$ spectroscopy separately in the $\beta^-$ decays of $^{34}$Mg and $^{34}$Al at the ISOLDE facility of CERN. Different configurations in $^{34}$Si were populated independently from the two recently identified $\beta$-decaying states in $^{34}$Al having spin-parity assignments $J^\pi = 4^-$ dominated by the normal configuration $\pi (d_{5/2})^{-1} \otimes \nu (f_{7/2})$ and $J^\pi = 1^+$ by the intruder configuration $\pi (d_{5/2})^{-1} \otimes \nu (d_{3/2})^{-1}(f_{7/2})^{2}$. The paper reports on spectroscopic properties of $^{34}$Si such as an extended level scheme, spin and parity assignments based on log($ft$) values and $\gamma$-ray branching ratios, absolute $\beta$ feeding intensities and neutron emission probabilities. A total of 11 newly identified levels and 26 transitions were added to the previously known level scheme of $^{34}$Si. Large scale shell-model calculations using the {\sc sdpf-u-mix} interaction, able to treat higher order intruder configurations, are compared with the new results and conclusions are drawn concerning the predictive power of {\sc sdpf-u-mix}, the $N=20$ shell gap, the level of mixing between normal and intruder configurations for the 0$_1^+$, 0$_2^+$ and 2$_1^+$ states and the absence of triaxial deformation in $^{34}$Si.

A natural nickel sample was used at the GELINA (Geel Electron LINear Accelerator) neutron source of the European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Geel to measure the neutron inelastic cross sections. The GAINS (Gamma Array for Inelastic Neutron Scattering) spectrometer was employed to detect the emitted γ rays while a 235U fission chamber monitored the neutron flux. We report the preliminary production cross sections corresponding to the first transitions in 58,60Ni in comparison with previously reported data and with TALYS 1.9 calculations performed using the default input parameters.

The ACtive TARget and Time Projection Chamber (ACTAR TPC) is a novel gas-filled detector that has recently been constructed at GANIL. This versatile detector is a gaseous thick target that allows the tracking of charged particles in three dimensions and provides a precise reaction energy reconstruction from the vertex position. A commissioning experiment using resonant scattering of a 3.2MeV/nucleon 18O beam on an isobutane gas (proton) target was performed. The beam and the heavy scattered ions were stopped in the gas volume, while the light recoil left the active volume and were stopped in auxiliary silicon detectors. A dedicated tracking algorithm was applied to determine the angle of emission and the length of the trajectory of the ions, to reconstruct the reaction kinematics used to built the excitation functions of the 1H(18O, 18O)1H and 1H(18O, 15N)4He reactions. In this article, we describe the design of the detector and the data analysis, that resulted in center of mass reaction energy resolutions of 38(4)keV FWHM and 54(9)keV FWHM for the proton and alpha channels, respectively. The ACtive TARget and Time Projection Chamber (ACTAR TPC) is a novel gas-filled detector that has recently been constructed at GANIL. This versatile detector is a gaseous thick target that allows the tracking of charged particles in three dimensions and provides a precise reaction energy reconstruction from the vertex position. A commissioning experiment using resonant scattering of a 3.2MeV/nucleon 18O beam on an isobutane gas (proton) target was performed. The beam and the heavy scattered ions were stopped in the gas volume, while the light recoil left the active volume and were stopped in auxiliary silicon detectors. A dedicated tracking algorithm was applied to determine the angle of emission and the length of the trajectory of the ions, to reconstruct the reaction kinematics used to built the excitation functions of the 1H(18O, 18O)1H and 1H(18O, 15N)4He reactions. In this article, we describe the design of the detector and the data analysis, that resulted in center of mass reaction energy resolutions of 38(4)keV FWHM and 54(9)keV FWHM for the proton and alpha channels, respectively. ispartof: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment vol:940 pages:498-504 status: published

Preliminary results of measurements of the total reaction cross sections σR for weakly-bound 6,8He and 8,9Li nuclei at energy range (25–45)/A MeV on 27Al and 208Pb targets are presented. The secondary beams of 6,8He and 8,9Li were produced by bombardment of the 11B (33 A MeV) primary beam on Be (89 mg cm–2) target and separated by COMBAS fragment-separator. In dispersive focal plane a horizontal slit defined the momentum acceptance as 1% and a wedge degrader of 200 μm Al was installed. The B ρ of the second section of the fragment-separator was adjusted for measurements in energy range (25–45)/A MeV. The secondary products were detected by a telescope consisting of two Si ΔE detectors 300, 1000 μm and E-detector, which consisted of nine CsI/Tl granules.

Two experiments made with the MSP144 stepped pole magnetic spectrometer of FLNR-JINR Dubna measured the energy spectra of α particles emitted at zero degree (collinear kinematic) in the reactions 40Ar(220 MeV) + 232Th and 48Ca(270 MeV) + 238U. The study was pursued up to the maximum energy the alpha particles may have in a two-body reaction, without excitation of the reaction partners, the so-called kinematic limit. The observed cross sections in the vicinity of the kinematic limits were of the order of μb. In the indicated reactions, the heavy partners of the recorded alpha particles in the exit channel were respectively 268Sg and 282Db. At the kinematic limit, the heavy partners have excitation energies close to zero, therefore a high probability to survive.

International audience; We report on the observation of 67Kr that has been produced in an experiment performed at the RIKEN/BigRIPS facility. The two-proton decay of 67Kr has been evidenced and this nucleus is thus the fourth observed long lived ground-state two-proton emitter, after 45Fe, 48Ni and 54Zn. In addition, the decay of several isotopes in the mass region has been investigated. While for previous cases of two-proton radioactivity, the theoretical models could reproduce the measured data, this is not the case anymore for 67Kr. Two interpretations have been proposed to explain this discrepancy: a transition between real two-proton and sequential decay or the influence of deformation. These hypotheses will be tested in future experiments by measuring the angular and energy correlations of the emitted protons.

Two new experimental setups are being developed at European Commission’s Joint Research Centre in Geel, Belgium. The scintillator array ELISA (ELastic and Inelastic Scattering Array) is for high-quality neutron scattering cross section and angular distribution measurements. It has the capability to separate neutron-and photon-induced events via pulse-shape analysis. Inelastic scattering can also be resolved from the elastic channel. The ELISA setup and data analysis procedure were validated by performing measurements using carbon and iron samples. The DELCO spectrometer (Detection of ELectrons from COnversion) is intended for inelastic neutron scattering cross-section measurements in cases where the detection of γ rays is not feasible. The current status of DELCO, results from the first tests, and future prospects will be discussed.

Inelastic (n,n') cross section is a key quantity to accurately simulate reactor cores, and its precision was shown to need significant improvements. To bypass the experimental difficulties to detect neutrons from (n,xn) reaction and to discriminate inelastically scattered neutrons from those following the fission process in case of fissile targets, an indirect but yet powerful method is used: the prompt γ-ray spectroscopy. Along this line, our collaboration has developed the GRAPhEME setup, optimized for actinides, at the GELINA facility to measure partial (n,xn γ) cross sections, from which the total (n,xn) cross section can be inferred. (n,xn γ) experiments with actinides are still particularly challenging, as their structure presents a high level density at low energy, and the competing neutron-induced fission reaction contaminates the γ-energy distribution. New precise measurements of the partial (n,xn γ) cross sections provide a stringent test to theoretical model and offer a way to improve them. This is a path to a better determination of the total inelastic scattering cross sections. In this contribution we discuss modeling aspects of the 238U and 182W (n,n' γ) reactions, also measured with GRAPhEME, using the three codes TALYS, EMPIRE and CoH. We will highlight the needed/expected improvements on reaction modeling and nuclear structure input.

International audience; The paper represents an overview of the measurements performed using GAINS at GELINA (JRC-Geel, Belgium). While undergoing continuous upgrades, the setup produced highly precise cross sections. Our measurements are primarily driven by technological needs with an emphasis on structural materials used in the development of nuclear facilities. However, most cases offered the opportunity to investigate various reaction mechanism and/or nuclear structure issues. We concentrate on several specific experiments describing the particular difficulties we met and the solutions we adopted to infer reliable data and to draw significant conclusions.

International audience; The beta decay of the Tz=-2 nucleus 64Se has been studied in a fragmentation reaction at RIKEN-Nishina Center. 64Se is the heavies Tz=-2 nucleus that decays to bound states in the daughter nucleus and the heaviest case where the mirror reaction 64Zn(3He,t)64Ga on the Tz=+2 64Zn stable target exists and can be compared. Beta-delayed gamma and proton radiation is reported for the 64Se and 64As cases. New levels have been observed in 64As, 64Ge (N=Z), 63Ge and 63Ga. The associated T1/2 values have been obtained.

A neutron inelastic scattering experiment was performed at the Geel Electron Linear Accelerator neutron source using an enriched 54Fe sample. The $\gamma$ rays produced in the reaction were detected using the Gamma Array for Inelastic Neutron Scattering spectrometer. For each observed transition we determined the $\gamma$ -production cross section for incident energies ranging from the inelastic threshold ( $\approx 1.434$ MeV) up to 18 MeV. Using these primary data we also calculated the cross section of the first excited level and the total inelastic cross section. Our experimental results are compared with previous reported values, evaluated nuclear data libraries and theoretical calculations performed with the TALYS 1.9 code. A careful tuning of the optical model parameters allowed significant improvements in the description of the experimental results leading to interesting conclusions regarding the interaction of the 54Fe nucleus with neutrons.

International audience; The overlap in the mass symmetric region of the reaction products from fusion-fission and quasi-fission complicates the assignment of symmetric events to complete fusion on the basis of the mass distribution alone. Additional observables, besides mass distribution, should be used. The method proposed here relies on the fact that fusion-fission and quasifission are characterized by a different timescale. Within this framework we performed a detailed study to find out if timescales can be probed via angular momentum as measured via γ rays multiplicity. The proof of principle was carried out by measuring the γ rays in coincidence with two fragments in the reaction 32S + 197Au at beam energy near the Coulomb barrier. The experiment has been performed at the Tandem ALTO facility at IPN Orsay using a detection setup consisting of ORGAM and PARIS γ detector arrays coupled with the CORSET time-of-flight spectrometer. Preliminary results on the sensitivity of this method to distinguish reaction channels with different dynamics are discusses.

International audience; The two-proton radioactivity is a unique tool to study the nuclear structure beyond the proton drip-line. Since its discovery in 2002, the known emitters have been 19Mg, 45Fe, 48Ni, 54Zn and 67Kr. 67Kr was observed for the first time at the RIKEN Nishina Center in 2015. Its decay energy was measured at 1690(17) keV with a branching ratio of 37(14)%. The half-life, 7.4(30) ms, was found in contradiction with theoretical calculations, pointing out effects of decay dynamics and nuclear deformation.

International audience; Compound nucleus fission and quasi-fission are both binary decay channels whose common properties make the experimental separation between them difficult. A way to achieve this separation could be to probe the angular momentum of the binary fragments. This can be done detecting gamma rays in coincidence with the two fragments. As a case study, the reaction 32S + 197Au near the Coulomb barrier has been performed at the Tandem ALTO facility at IPN ORSAY. ORGAM and PARIS, two different gamma detectors arrays, are coupled with the CORSET detector, a two-arm time-of-flight spectrometer. TOF-TOF data were analyzed to reconstruct the mass-energy distribution of the primary fragments coupled with gamma multiplicity and spectroscopic analysis. Preliminary results of will be shown.

Inelastic reactions ((n,xn) for x ≥ 1) play a key role in reactor cores as they influence the slowing down of the neutrons. A reactor neutron energy spectrum depends thus on this process which is in strong competition with elastic scattering and fission; a nice example is the case of 238U. Inelastic scattering (x = 1) impacts keff and radial power distribution in the nuclear reactor. For several years, it has been shown that the knowledge of the inelastic cross sections in nuclear databases is not good enough to accurately simulate reactor cores and a strong demand for new measurements has emerged with very tight objectives (only a few percent) for the uncertainties on the cross section. To bypass the well-known experimental difficulty to detect neutrons, the prompt γ-ray spectroscopy method is a powerful but indirect way to obtain inelastic cross sections. Our collaboration has used this method for more than ten years and have produced a lot of (n,n′γ) cross sections for nuclei from 7Li to 238U. In this article, we will first discuss the issues of the prompt γ-ray spectroscopy regarding the control of all the uncertainties involved in the (n,n′γ) cross section estimation. Secondly, we will focus on the role of theoretical modeling which, in certain cases, is crucial to reach the objectives of a few percent uncertainty on the (n,n′) cross sections.

Introduction Les patients BPCO presentant un tableau clinique de bronchite chronique et/ou une dilatation des bronches (DDB) rapportent des symptomes plus severes avec des expectorations purulentes et des exacerbations aigues de BPCO (EABPCO) plus frequentes. Les techniques de drainage bronchique peuvent ameliorer la qualite de vie et reduire la morbi-mortalite de ces patients. L’objectif de cette etude pilote est d’evaluer les effets d’une nouvelle technique de drainage bronchique par rapport a la kinesitherapie conventionnelle chez les patients BPCO hospitalises pour une EABPCO et souffrant de congestion pulmonaire. Methodes Dix patients BPCO ayant une congestion pulmonaire importante malgre un traitement optimal par bronchodilatateur, ont ete traites 5 jours pendant l’hospitalisation (2 sessions de 20 min/jour) soit avec le nouveau dispositif medical (Simeox, PhysioAssist, France) soit par kinesitherapie manuelle (5 patients dans chaque groupe). Cette nouvelle technologie permet de disseminer dans l’arbre bronchique un signal pneumatique vibratoire qui mobilise le mucus dans les zones distales et contribue a son transport vers les troncs centraux en vue de son expectoration. Les donnees de spirometrie, les symptomes, le score de CAT, la facilite d’utilisation et la securite ont ete comparees entre les 2 groupes. Resultats Caracteristiques de la population : âge 65 ± 8 ans, 7 hommes et 3 femmes, 7 avec DDB et 8 avec râles bronchiques, IMC 27 ± 6 kg/m2, echelle de Borg 4,5 ± 1,8, SpO2 96,3 ± 1,7 %, VEMS 42 ± 19 % (Tableau 1). Les 5 patients du groupe dispositif medical (DM) ont acquis rapidement une autonomie d’utilisation du dispositif medical. Aucun evenement indesirable ni douleur n’a ete rapporte. L’amelioration du desencombrement et des symptomes etait comparable entre les 2 groupes. Le VEMS a augmente de +150 ± 100 mL (VEMS +5 ± 2 %) et le rapport VEMS/CVF de 53 ± 2 a 58 ± 13 % dans le groupe DM mais sont restes stables dans le groupe kinesitherapie manuelle. Le score de CAT s’est ameliore uniquement dans le groupe DM de 20 ± 6 a 17 ± 5. Conclusion Ces donnees preliminaires suggerent sur un petit echantillon de patients que la technologie Simeox est sure et presenterait des benefices supplementaires sur le desencombrement bronchique des patients BPCO hospitalises pour une exacerbation et presentant des symptomes de bronchite chronique severe ou une bronchiectasie. Il est necessaire de confirmer ces resultats par des etudes randomisees a plus long terme sur des effectifs plus importants.

The half-life of $^{19}\mathrm{Ne}$ was measured using a real-time digital multiparametric acquisition system, providing an accurate time stamp and relevant information on the detector signals for each decay event. An exhaustive offline analysis of the data gave unique access to experimental effects potentially biasing the measurement. After establishing the influence factors impacting the measurement such as after-pulses, pile-up, gain, and baseline fluctuations, their effects were accurately estimated and the event selection optimized. The resulting half-life, $17.2569\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.{0019}_{(\text{stat})}\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.{0009}_{(\text{syst})}$ s, is the most precise up to now for $^{19}\mathrm{Ne}$. It is found to be in agreement with two recent precise measurements and not consistent with the most recent one [L. J. Broussard et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 212301 (2014)] by 3.0 standard deviations. The full potential of the technique for nuclei with half-lives of a few seconds is discussed.

A neutron inelastic scattering experiment was performed on an enriched $^{57}\mathrm{Fe}$ sample at the Geel Electron Linear Accelerator neutron source using the Gamma Array for Neutron Inelastic Scattering spectrometer. Several $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-production cross sections were determined, but the first transition (14.4 keV) could not be detected owing to the steadily increased $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ background at low energies. Consequently, we use an interplay between experimental data and carefully tuned theoretical calculations to generate the total inelastic cross section.

Many properties of the atomic nucleus, such as vibrations, rotations and incompressibility, can be interpreted as due to a two component quantum liquid of protons and neutrons. Electron scattering measurements on stable nuclei demonstrate that their central densities are saturated, as for liquid drops. In exotic nuclei near the limits of mass and charge, with large imbalances in their proton and neutron numbers, the possibility of a depleted central density, or a 'bubble' structure, has been discussed in a recurrent manner since the 1970s. Here we report first experimental evidence that points to a depletion of the central density of protons in the short-lived nucleus 34Si. The proton-to-neutron density asymmetry in 34Si offers the possibility to place constraints on the density and isospin dependence of the spin--orbit force-on which nuclear models have disagreed for decades-and on its stabilizing effect towards limits of nuclear existence., 6 pages, 3 figures

The $\beta$ decay of the odd-odd nucleus $^{70}$Br has been investigated with the BigRIPS and EURICA setups at the Radioactive Ion Beam Factory (RIBF) of the RIKEN Nishina Center. The $T=0$ ($J^{\pi}=9^+$) and $T=1$ ($J^{\pi}=0^+$) isomers have both been produced in in-flight fragmentation of $^{78}$Kr with ratios of 41.6(8)\% and 58.4(8)\%, respectively. A half-life of $t_{1/2}=2157^{+53}_{-49}$ ms has been measured for the $J^{\pi}=9^+$ isomer from $\gamma$-ray time decay analysis. Based on this result, we provide a new value of the half-life for the $J^{\pi}=0^+$ ground state of $^{70}$Br, $t_{1/2}=78.42\pm0.51$ ms, which is slightly more precise, and in excellent agreement, with the best measurement reported hitherto in the literature. For this decay, we provide the first estimate of the total branching fraction decaying through the $2^+_1$ state in the daughter nucleus $^{70}$Se, $R(2^+_1)=1.3\pm1.1\%$. We also report four new low-intensity $\gamma$-ray transitions at 661, 1103, 1561, and 1749 keV following the $\beta$ decay of the $J^{\pi}=9^+$ isomer. Based on their coincidence relationships, we tentatively propose two new excited states at 3945 and 4752 keV in $^{70}$Se with most probable spins and parities of $J^{\pi}=(6^+)$ and $(8^+)$, respectively. The observed structure is interpreted with the help of shell-model calculations, which predict a complex interplay between oblate and prolate configurations at low excitation energies.