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A γ-ray spectroscopic study of 10B is reported. Excited states in 10B were populated in inelastic proton scattering and their γ-decays were measured with the ELIFANT array, a state-of-the-art spectrometer with large volume LaBr3:Ce and CeBr3 detectors placed in anti-Compton shields and having unprecedented efficiency for high-energy γ rays. A few weak transitions were observed in the experiment, namely M3 transition between Jπ, T = 0+1, 1 isobaric analog state to the Jπ, T = 3+1,0 ground state and E2 transition between the Jπ, T = 2+1,0 state and the isobaric analog state. The results are compared to a new set of ab initio no-core shell model calculation using the newest version of the local position-space chiral N3LO nucleon-nucleon interaction, which correctly reproduces the spectrum of the excited states in 10B, a problem of the theory in previous years.

We have performed the measurement of the 27Al(α, n) cross section at IFIN-HH for a range of energies from 2.5 to 5.2 MeV, using an array of 28 3He counters arranged in 3 concentric rings (ELIGANT-TN). Here we present the experimental setup and discuss the role of the 13C contamination which effects the measurements in the low-energy region. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy carried out before and after the experiment suggested an increase in the 13C concentration during the experiment.

Isomeric states of the neutron-rich isotope 18973Ta116 were populated via fragmentation of a primary beam of 208Pb ions at 1 GeV/u impinging on a 9Be target at GSI, Darmstadt, Germany. The isotopes of interest were separated, identified and delivered to the DESPEC setup. Two isomers were deduced in 189Ta116 and their lifetimes were measured based on the γ-ray time distributions.

The very proton-rich 71Kr isotope was produced through the in-flight fragmentation of 78Kr on a beryllium target at RIKEN – Nishina Center in order to study its β-decay properties. A stack of double-sided silicon strip detectors, called WAS3ABi, was used as the decay station, where the detection of ion implants, β-decays and β-delayed protons took place. Beta-delayed γ-rays were measured using a system of 84 HPGe detectors, called EURICA, surrounding the decay station. The main goal of the present study was the precise measurement of the half-life of 71Kr, as in the literature there is an almost 10 σ difference between the most precise independent results. Implant–β time correlations, implant–proton time correlations and implant–β–γ time correlations were all used to derive the half-life value, followed by a thorough investigation of systematic uncertainties for each method. As these values were found to be consistent, the weighted average t1/2 = 94.40+19ms is reported as a new half-life value in this work. Furthermore a total of 26 previously unreported γ following the β-decay of 71Kr were also identified in the analysis.

The isotope-production cross sections in p- and d-induced reactions on 93Zr at approximately 50 MeV/nucleon were measured by using the inverse-kinematics method at RIKEN RI Beam Factory. The measured data were compared with the previous experimental 93Zr + p, d at 105 and 209 MeV/nucleon data. This comparison represents that the isotopic distribution of production cross sections at 51 MeV p-induced reaction is appreciably different from those at 105 and 209 MeV. On the other hand, these three data sets show that the shape of isotopic distribution is similar in the case of the d-induced reaction. Also, the measured production cross sections were compared with the theoretical model calculations with Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS) version 3.10 in order to investigate the reproducibility of the models implemented in PHITS. The calculations well reproduced the experimental data even in such low incident energy, while several discrepancies were still seen as in the p- and d-induced reactions at 105 and 209 MeV/nucleon.

The isotopic production cross sections for the reactions of 136Xe induced by proton, deuteron and carbon at 168 MeV/u were obtained by using the inverse kinematics technique at RIKEN Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory. The target dependence of the cross sections was investigated systematically. It was found that for the light-mass products, the cross sections on carbon are larger than those on deuteron and proton. The measured cross sections on proton were compared with the previous data at higher reaction energies to study the energy dependence. The experimental results were compared with the theoretical calculations including both the intranuclear cascade and evaporation processes using PHITS and with the EPAX and SPACS empirical parameterizations.

The region of neutron-rich nuclei above the N = 50 magic neutron shell closure encompasses a rich variety of nuclear structure, especially shapeevolutionary phenomena. This can be attributed to the complexity of sub-shell closures, their appearance and disappearance in the region, such as the N = 56 sub shell or Z = 40 for protons. Structural effects reach from a shape phase transition in the Zr isotopes, over shape coexistence between spherical, prolate, and oblate shapes, to possibly rigid triaxial deformation. Recent experiments in this region and their main physics viewpoints are summarized.

This contribution will report on the experimental work on the level structure of 168Dy. The experimental data have been taken as part of the EURICA decay spectroscopy campaign at RIBF, RIKEN in November 2014. In the experiment, a 238U primary beam is accelerated up to 345 MeV/u with an average intensity of 12 pnA. The nuclei of interest are produced by in-flight fission of 238U impinging on Be target with a thickness of 5 mm. The excited states of 168Dy have been populated through the decay from a newly identified isomeric state and via the β decay from 168Tb. In this contribution, scientific motivations, experimental procedure and some preliminary results for this study are presented.

Projectile Coulomb excitation experiments were performed at HIE-ISOLDE at CERN with the radioactive ion beams of 140Nd and 142Sm. Ions with an energy of 4:62 MeV/A were impinging on a 1.45 mg/cm2 thick 208Pb target. The γ-rays depopulating the Coulomb-excited states were recorded by the HPGe-array MINIBALL and scattered particles were detected by a double-sided silicon strip detector. Experimental intensities were used for the determination of electromagnetic transition matrix elements. A preliminary result of the B(M1; 2+3 → 2+1) of 140Nd and an upper limit for the case of 142Sm are revealing the main fragments of the proton-neutron mixed-symmetry 2+1;ms states.

Isotopic production cross sections were measured for proton- and deuteron-induced reactions on 93Nb by means of the inverse kinematics method at RIKEN Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory. The measured production cross sections of residual nuclei in the reaction 93Nb + p at 113 MeV/u were compared with previous data measured by the conventional activation method in the proton energy range between 46 and 249 MeV. The present inverse kinematics data of four reaction products (90Mo, 90Nb, 88Y, and 86Y) were in good agreement with the data of activation measurement. Also, the model calculations with PHITS describing the intra-nuclear cascade and evaporation processes generally well reproduced the measured isotopic production cross sections.

The commissioning of a new setup for β-delayed neutron measurements was carried out successfully in November-2016, at the RIKEN Nishina Center in Japan. The β-decay half-lives and Pn branching ratios of several isotopes in the 78Ni region were measured. Details of the experimental setup and the first results are given.

Isotopic production cross sections in the proton- and deuteron-induced spallation reactions on 93Zr at an energy of 105 MeV/u were measured in inverse kinematics conditions for the development of realistic nuclear transmutation processes for long-lived fission products (LLFPs) with neutron and light-ion beams. The experimental results were compared to the PHITS calculations describing the intra-nuclear cascade and evaporation processes. Although an overall agreement was obtained, a large overestimation of the production cross sections for the removal of a few nucleons was seen. A clear shell effect associated with the neutron magic number N = 50 was observed in the measured isotopic production yields of Zr and Y isotopes, which can be reproduced reasonably by the PHITS calculation.

This short paper presents the identification of a metastable, isomeric-state decay in the neutron-rich odd-odd, prolate-deformed nucleus 166Tb. The nucleus of interest was formed using the in-flight fission of a 345 MeV per nucleon 238U primary beam at the RIBF facility, RIKEN, Japan. Gamma-ray transitions decaying from the observed isomeric states in 166Tb were identified using the EURICA gamma-ray spectrometer, positioned at the final focus of the BigRIPS fragments separator. The current work identifies a single discrete gamma-ray transition of energy 119 keV which de-excites an isomeric state in 166Tb with a measured half-life of 3.5(4) μs. The multipolarity assignment for this transition is an electric dipole and is made on the basis internal conversion and decay lifetime arguments. Possible two quasi-particle Nilsson configurations for the initial and final states which are linked by this transition in 166Tb are made on the basis of comparison with Blocked BCS Nilsson calculations, with the predicted ground state configuration for this nucleus arising from the coupling of the v(1-/2)[521] and π(3+/2) Nilsson orbitals.

Spallation reactions for the long-lived fission products 137Cs, 90Sr and 107Pd have been studied for the purpose of nuclear waste transmutation. The cross sections on the proton- and deuteron-induced spallation were obtained in inverse kinematics at the RIKEN Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory. Both the target and energy dependences of cross sections have been investigated systematically. and the cross-section differences between the proton and deuteron are found to be larger for lighter fragments. The experimental data are compared with the SPACS semi-empirical parameterization and the PHITS calculations including both the intra-nuclear cascade and evaporation processes.

Neutron-rich 160,161,162Sm isotopes have been populated at the RIBF, RIKEN via β first time. β-coincident γ rays were observed in all three isotopes including γ rays from the isomeric decay of 160Sm and 162Sm. The isomers in 160Sm and 162Sm have previously been observed but have been populated via β decay for the first time. The isomeric state in 162Sm is assigned a 4−v72+[ 633 ]⊗v12−[ 521 ]${4^ - }v{{7 \over 2}^ + }\left[ {633} \right] \otimes v{{1 \over 2}^ - }\left[ {521} \right]$ configuration based on the decay pattern. The level schemes of 160Sm and 162Sm are presented. The ground states in the parent nuclei 160Pm and 162Pm are both assigned a 6−v72+[633]⊗π52−[532]${6^ - }v{{7 \over 2}^ + }\left[ {633} \right] \otimes \pi {{5 \over 2}^ - }\left[ {532} \right]$ configuration based on the population of states in the daughter nuclei. Blocked BCS calculations were performed to further investigate the spin-parities of the ground states in 160Pm, 161Pm, and 162Pm, and the isomeric state in 162Sm

Within the SEASTAR project at RIKEN-RIBF, 66Cr and 70,72Fe have been produced via protonknockout reactions, and their first excited 2+ and 4+ states have been discovered. The combination of the liquid-hydrogen target and TPC system MINOS has been used in combination with the DALI2 detector array for the first time. A 345 MeV/u 238U beam with a mean intensity of about 12 pnA impinged on a Be target. Fission fragments were separated and identified using the BigRIPS spectrograph, and reaction products were analyzed using the ZeroDegree spectrograph. A plateau of excitation energies, with a small change in the systematic trends past N = 44, reveals an extension of the N = 40 region of collectivity toward N = 50. Hence, the isotopes of interest are located within the N = 40 island of inversion. An interpretation of the observed trends is offered through large scale shell model calculations.

A β-decay spectroscopy experiment around 158Nd was performed at RI Beam Factory (RIBF), RIKEN Nishina Center, in order to understand the production mechanism of the A≈165 rare-earth element (REE) peak in the r-process mass abundance pattern. In this experiment, 53 half-lives are measured including 34 new results, which could be employed in a fully dynamic r-process network calculation.

A decay spectroscopy experiment was performed within the EURICA campaign at RIKEN in 2012. It aimed at the isomer and particle spectroscopy of excited states and ground states in the mass region below the doubly magic 100Sn. The N = Z nuclei 98In, 96Cd and 94Ag were of particular interest for the present study. Preliminary results on the neutron deficient nuclei 93Ag and 94Ag are presented. In 94Ag a more precise value for the half-life of the ground state’s superallowed Fermi transition was deduced. In addition the energy spectra of the mentioned decay could be reproduced through precise Geant4 simulations of the used active stopper SIMBA. This will enable us to extract Qβ values from the measured data. The decay of 93Ag is discussed based on the observed implantation-decay correlation events.

The first EURICA campaign with high intensity Uranium beams took place at RIKEN in November/December 2012. Within this campaign experiment NP1112-RIBF85 was performed dedicated to the study of the isomeric and beta decays of neutronrich Cd, In, Sn and Sb isotopes towards and beyond the N=82 neutron shell closure. In this contribution we present a first status report of the analysis of the extensive data set obtained in this experiment.

A range of high resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy measurements have been carried out using arrays which include a number of Cerium-doped Lanthanum-Tribromide (LrBr3(Ce)) scintillation detectors used in conjunction with high-resolution hyper-pure germanium detectors. Examples of the spectral and temporal responses of such set-ups, using both standard point radioactive sources 152Eu and 56Co, and in-beam fusionevaporation reaction experiments for precision measurements of nuclear excited states in 34P and 138Ce are presented. The current and future use of such arrays at existing (EURICA at RIKEN) and future (NUSTAR at FAIR) secondary radioactive beam facilities for precision measurements of excited nuclear state lifetimes in the 10 ps to 10 ns regime are also discussed.

This paper highlights the challenges the fire and rescue services can meet at façade fires involving EPS insulation during construction and use of a building. The EPS characteristics are discussed in respect to the fire and rescue operation and results from orientating fire tests performed at a fire and rescue services training and test field are presented. Types of evacuation solutions, involving the fire and rescue services, where façade fires can delay or completely rule out the possibilities for safe evacuation, are presented. The restrictions in the Swedish building codes regarding use of combustible insulation are analysed and reflections over the practical problems with following the instructions to keep an EPS insulated façade safe through the building's whole lifespan are made. A number of occurred fires involving EPS are discussed and analysed from a fire and rescue perspective. Finally, recommendations are given for the fire and rescue services and future research fields are proposed.