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The selenium isotopes lie at the heart of a tumultuous region of the nuclear chart where shape coexistence effects grapple with neutron-proton pairing correlations, triaxiality, and the impending proton drip line. In this work, a study of Se72 by internal conversion electron and γ-ray spectroscopy was undertaken with the SPICE and TIGRESS arrays. New measurements of the branching ratio and lifetime of the 02+ state were performed, yielding a determination of ρ2(E0;02+→01+)=29(3) milliunits. Two-state mixing calculations were performed that highlighted the importance of interpretation of such E0 strength values in the context of shape coexistence.

The selenium isotopes lie at the heart of a tumultuous region of the nuclear chart where shape coexistence effects grapple with neutron-proton pairing correlations, triaxiality, and the impending proton drip line. In this work, a study of 72Se by internal conversion electron and γ-ray spectroscopy was undertaken with the SPICE and TIGRESS arrays. New measurements of the branching ratio and lifetime of the 02+ state were performed, yielding a determination of ρ2(E0;02+→01+)=29(3) milliunits. Two-state mixing calculations were performed that highlighted the importance of interpretation of such E0 strength values in the context of shape coexistence. peerReviewed

International audience; The selenium isotopes lie at the heart of a tumultuous region of the nuclear chart where shape coexistence effects grapple with neutron-proton pairing correlations, triaxiality, and the impending proton drip line. In this work, a study of Se72 by internal conversion electron and γ-ray spectroscopy was undertaken with the SPICE and TIGRESS arrays. New measurements of the branching ratio and lifetime of the 02+ state were performed, yielding a determination of ρ2(E0;02+→01+)=29(3) milliunits. Two-state mixing calculations were performed that highlighted the importance of interpretation of such E0 strength values in the context of shape coexistence.

Lifetimes or lifetime limits of a small number of excited states of the sulfur isotopes with mass numbers A=35, 36, 37, and 38 have been measured using the differential recoil-distance method. The isotopes of sulfur were populated in binary grazing reactions initiated by a beam of 36S ions of energy 225 MeV incident on a thin 208Pb target which was mounted in the Cologne plunger apparatus. The combination of the PRISMA magnetic spectrometer and an early implementation of the AGATA γ-ray tracking array was used to detect γ rays in coincidence with projectile-like nuclear species. Lifetime measurements of populated states were measured within the range from about 1 to 100 ps. The number of states for which lifetime measurements or lifetime limits were possible was limited by statistics. For 35S, the lifetime was determined for the first 1/2+ state at 1572 keV ; the result is compared with a previous published lifetime value. The lifetime of the 3− state of 36S at 4193 keV was determined and compared with earlier measurements. No previous lifetime information exists for the (6+) state at 6690 keV ; a lifetime measurement with large associated error was made in the present work. For 37S, the states for which lifetime limits were established were those at 646 keV with Jπ=3/2− and at 2776 keV with Jπ=11/2− ; there are no previously published lifetime values for excited states of 37S. Finally, a lifetime limit was established for the Jπ=(6+) state of 38S at 3675 keV ; no lifetime information exists for this state in the literature. Measured lifetime values were compared with the results of state-of-the-art shell-model calculations based on the PSDPF, SDPF-U, and FSU effective interactions. In addition, nuclear magnetic-dipole and electric-quadrupole moments, branching ratios, mixing ratios, and electromagnetic transition rates, where available, have been compared with shell-model values. The current work suffers from poor statistics ; nevertheless, lifetime values and limits have been possible, allowing a useful discussion of the ability of state-of-the-art shell-model calculations to reproduce the experimental results.

Lifetimes or lifetime limits of a small number of excited states of the sulfur isotopes with mass numbers A=35, 36, 37, and 38 have been measured using the differential recoil-distance method. The isotopes of sulfur were populated in binary grazing reactions initiated by a beam of 36S ions of energy 225 MeV incident on a thin 208Pb target which was mounted in the Cologne plunger apparatus. The combination of the PRISMA magnetic spectrometer and an early implementation of the AGATA γ-ray tracking array was used to detect γ rays in coincidence with projectile-like nuclear species. Lifetime measurements of populated states were measured within the range from about 1 to 100 ps. The number of states for which lifetime measurements or lifetime limits were possible was limited by statistics. For 35S, the lifetime was determined for the first 1/2+ state at 1572 keV; the result is compared with a previous published lifetime value. The lifetime of the 3− state of 36S at 4193 keV was determined and compared with earlier measurements. No previous lifetime information exists for the (6+) state at 6690 keV; a lifetime measurement with large associated error was made in the present work. For 37S, the states for which lifetime limits were established were those at 646 keV with Jπ=3/2− and at 2776 keV with Jπ=11/2−; there are no previously published lifetime values for excited states of 37S. Finally, a lifetime limit was established for the Jπ=(6+) state of 38S at 3675 keV; no lifetime information exists for this state in the literature. Measured lifetime values were compared with the results of state-of-the-art shell-model calculations based on the PSDPF, SDPF-U, and FSU effective interactions. In addition, nuclear magnetic-dipole and electric-quadrupole moments, branching ratios, mixing ratios, and electromagnetic transition rates, where available, have been compared with shell-model values. The current work suffers from poor statistics; nevertheless, lifetime values and limits have been possible, allowing a useful discussion of the ability of state-of-the-art shell-model calculations to reproduce the experimental results.

Reduced transition probabilities have been measured for the neutron-rich Ni73,74,75 nuclei with relativistic Coulomb excitation performed at the RIKEN Nishina Center. For the even-even Ni isotope the determined B(E2;0+→2+) value is compatible within errors with the result of a previous intermediate energy Coulomb excitation experiment, although being somewhat larger. For the odd Ni isotopes B(E2) values have been determined for the first time. In the middle νg9/2 shell nucleus Ni73 three peak candidates have been observed and tentatively assigned to the (5/2+), (13/2+), and (11/2+) excitations. Two peak candidates have been observed in Ni75 and tentatively assigned to the (13/2+) and (11/2+) levels. The measured B(E2) values are in line with the large B(E2) reported in Ni70 and at variance with the small strength measured in Ni72. Excitation energies compare well with the result of large-scale shell-model calculations, while B(E2) values are larger than predicted. This could indicate an increasing contribution of proton excitations across the Z=28 shell closure when approaching Ni78.

International audience; The electromagnetic structure of Zn66 at low excitation energy was investigated via low-energy Coulomb excitation at INFN Legnaro National Laboratories, using the Gamma Array of Legnaro Infn Laboratories for nuclEar spectrOscopy (GALILEO) γ-ray spectrometer coupled to the SPIDER (Silicon PIe DEtectoR). A set of reduced E2, E3, and M1 matrix elements was extracted from the collected data using the gosia code, yielding 12 reduced transition probabilities between the low-spin states and the spectroscopic quadrupole moment of the 21+ state. The B(E2) values for transitions depopulating the 02+ state have been determined for the first time, allowing for the lifetime of this state to be deduced and, consequently, the ρ2(E0;02+→01+) monopole transition strength to be extracted. In addition, the B(E3;31−→01+) value has been determined for the first time in a Coulomb excitation experiment. The obtained results resolve the existing discrepancies between literature lifetimes and demonstrate that Zn66 cannot be described by using simple collective models. Therefore, new state-of-the-art beyond-mean-field and large-scale shell-model calculations were performed in order to interpret the structure of this nucleus. Both the experimental and theoretical results suggest that the triaxial degree of freedom has an important impact on electromagnetic properties of Zn66, while the unique features of the 02+ state indicate its distinct and rather isolated structure.

WOS: 000439286800004, PubMed: 30085775, Energy differences between analogue states in the T = 1/2 Mg-23-Na-23 mirror nuclei have been measured along the rotational yrast bands. This allows us to search for effects arising from isospin-symmetrybreaking interactions (ISB) and/or shape changes. Data are interpreted in the shell model framework following the method successfully applied to nuclei in the f(7/2) shell. It is shown that the introduction of a schematic ISB interaction of the same type of that used in the f(7/2) shell is needed to reproduce the data. An alternative novel description, applied here for the first time, relies on the use of an effective interaction deduced from a realistic charge-dependent chiral nucleon-nucleon potential. This analysis provides two important results: (i) The mirror energy differences give direct insight into the nuclear skin; (ii) the skin changes along the rotational bands are strongly correlated with the difference between the neutron and proton occupations of the s(1/2) "halo" orbit., European Union [262010 ENSAR, FP7/2007-2013], The authors are grateful to the GANIL accelerator team. This work has been financed by the European Union Seventh Framework Program No. FP7/2007-2013 under Grant Agreement No. 262010 ENSAR.

Muon absorption radiography is an imaging technique based on the measurement of the absorption of cosmic ray muons. This technique has recently been used successfully to investigate the presence of unknown cavities in the Bourbon Gallery in Naples and in the Chephren Pyramid at Cairo. The MIMA detector (Muon Imaging for Mining and Archaeology) is a prototype muon tracker for muon radiography for application in the fields of archaelogy and mining. It is made of three pairs of X-Y planes each consisting of 21 scintillator bars with a silicon photomultiplier readout. The detector is compact, robust, easily transportable, and has a low power consumption: all of which makes the detector ideal for measurements in confined and isolated environments. With this detector, a measurement from inside the Temperino mine in the San Silvestro archaeo-mining park in Tuscany was performed. The park includes about 25 km of mining tunnels arranged on several levels that have been exploited from the Etruscan time. The measured muon absorption was compared to the simulated one, obtained from the information provided by 3D laser scanner measurements and cartographic maps of the mountain above the mine, in order to obtain information about the average density of the rock. This allowed one to confirm the presence of a partially accessible exploitation opening and provided some hints regarding the presence of a high-density body within the rock.

International audience; Reduced transition probabilities have been measured for the neutron-rich Ni73,74,75 nuclei with relativistic Coulomb excitation performed at the RIKEN Nishina Center. For the even-even Ni isotope the determined B(E2;0+→2+) value is compatible within errors with the result of a previous intermediate energy Coulomb excitation experiment, although being somewhat larger. For the odd Ni isotopes B(E2) values have been determined for the first time. In the middle νg9/2 shell nucleus Ni73 three peak candidates have been observed and tentatively assigned to the (5/2+), (13/2+), and (11/2+) excitations. Two peak candidates have been observed in Ni75 and tentatively assigned to the (13/2+) and (11/2+) levels. The measured B(E2) values are in line with the large B(E2) reported in Ni70 and at variance with the small strength measured in Ni72. Excitation energies compare well with the result of large-scale shell-model calculations, while B(E2) values are larger than predicted. This could indicate an increasing contribution of proton excitations across the Z=28 shell closure when approaching Ni78.

8 pags., 2 figs., 2 tabs., Reduced transition probabilities have been measured for the neutron-rich Ni73,74,75 nuclei with relativistic Coulomb excitation performed at the RIKEN Nishina Center. For the even-even Ni isotope the determined B(E2;0+→2+) value is compatible within errors with the result of a previous intermediate energy Coulomb excitation experiment, although being somewhat larger. For the odd Ni isotopes B(E2) values have been determined for the first time. In the middle νg9/2 shell nucleus Ni73 three peak candidates have been observed and tentatively assigned to the (5/2+), (13/2+), and (11/2+) excitations. Two peak candidates have been observed in Ni75 and tentatively assigned to the (13/2+) and (11/2+) levels. The measured B(E2) values are in line with the large B(E2) reported in Ni70 and at variance with the small strength measured in Ni72. Excitation energies compare well with the result of large-scale shell-model calculations, while B(E2) values are larger than predicted. This could indicate an increasing contribution of proton excitations across the Z=28 shell closure when approaching Ni78., The excellent work of the Riken-Nishina Center accelerator staff is acknowledged. We acknowledge the support of Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Italy. We also acknowledge the National Research, Development, and Innovation Fund of Hungary (Project No. K128947); the European Regional Development Fund (Contract No. GINOP-2.3.3-15- 2016-00034); and the National Research, Development, and Innovation Office (NKFIH Contract No. PD124717).

Zakopane Conference on Nuclear Physics - Extremes of the Nuclear Landscape -- AUG 28-SEP 04, 2016 -- Zakopane, POLAND, WOS: 000398717500011, Mirror energy differences (MED) are a direct consequence of isospin symmetry breaking. Moreover, the study of MED has proved to give valuable information of several nuclear structure properties. We present the results of an experiment performed in GANIL to study the MED in mirror nuclei Mg-23-Na-23 up to high spin. The experimental values are compared with state-of-the-art shell model calculations. This permits to enlighten several nuclear structure properties, such as the way in which the nucleons alignment proceeds, the radius variation with J, the role of the spin-orbit interaction and the importance of isospin symmetry breaking terms of nuclear origin.

International audience; Energy differences between analogue states in the T=1/2 Mg23-Na23 mirror nuclei have been measured along the rotational yrast bands. This allows us to search for effects arising from isospin-symmetry-breaking interactions (ISB) and/or shape changes. Data are interpreted in the shell model framework following the method successfully applied to nuclei in the f7/2 shell. It is shown that the introduction of a schematic ISB interaction of the same type of that used in the f7/2 shell is needed to reproduce the data. An alternative novel description, applied here for the first time, relies on the use of an effective interaction deduced from a realistic charge-dependent chiral nucleon-nucleon potential. This analysis provides two important results: (i) The mirror energy differences give direct insight into the nuclear skin; (ii) the skin changes along the rotational bands are strongly correlated with the difference between the neutron and proton occupations of the s1/2 “halo” orbit.

International audience; Lifetimes of excited states of the phosphorus isotopes 1533,34,35,36P have been measured by using the differential recoil-distance method. The isotopes of phosphorus were populated in binary grazing reactions initiated by a beam of S36 ions of energy 225 MeV incident on a thin Pb208 target mounted in the Cologne plunger apparatus. The combination of the PRISMA magnetic spectrometer and an early implementation of the AGATA γ-ray tracking array was used to detect γ rays in coincidence with projectile-like nuclear species. Lifetime measurements of populated states were made within the range from about 1 to 100 ps. The number of states for which lifetime measurements were possible was limited by statistics. For P33, lifetime limits were determined for the first 3/2+ and 5/2+ states at 1431 and 1848 keV, respectively; the results are compared with previous published lifetime values. The lifetime of the first 2+ state of P34 at 429 keV was determined and compared with earlier measurements. For P35, the states for which lifetimes, or lifetime limits, were determined were those at 2386, 3860, 4101, and 4493 keV, with Jπ values of 3/2+, 5/2+, 7/21−, and 7/22−, respectively. There have been no previous published lifetimes for states in this nucleus. A lifetime was measured for the stretched π(1f7/2)⊗ν(1f7/2)Jπ=(7+) state of P36 at 5212 keV and a lifetime limit was established for the stretched π(1d3/2)⊗ν(1f7/2)Jπ=(5−) state at 2030 keV. There are no previously published lifetimes for states of P36. Measured lifetime values were compared with the results of state-of-the-art shell-model calculations based on the PSDPF effective interaction. In addition, measured branching ratios, published mixing ratios, and electromagnetic transition rates, where available, have been compared with shell-model values. In general, there is good agreement between experiment and the shell model; however there is evidence that the shell-model values of the M1 transition rates for the 3/21+→1/2+ (ground state) and 5/21+→3/21+ transitions in P33 underestimate the experimental values by a factor between 5 and 10. In P35 there are some disagreements between experimental and shell-model values of branching ratios for the first and second excited 7/2− states. In particular, there is a serious disagreement for the decay characteristics of the second 7/2− state at 4493 keV, for which the shell-model counterpart lies at 4754 keV. In this case, the shell-model competing electromagnetic decay branches are dominated by E1 and M1 transitions.