Search

We present the first experimental evidence of the scissors mode in the superheavy nucleus $^{254}$No produced in the $^{208}$Pb($^{48}$Ca, 2nγ))$^{254}$No reaction. The spectrum of γ rays emitted by the excited $^{254}$No nuclei shows an enhanced γ-ray yield for transition energies of ≈2.5 MeV. By measuring the linear polarization properties of the emitted γ rays, we confirm that the transitions in the enhancement region are predominantly of magnetic-dipole character, characteristic for the scissors mode. To further characterize the enhanced γ-ray yield, simulations of the electromagnetic decay of $^{254}$No were performed. The observed enhancement is reproduced by including an M1 component in the γ strength function with total strength B(M1↑)=11.8(19)μN2. This is in good agreement with the integrated M1 strength from sum-rule estimates and new calculations within the quasi-particle random-phase approximation presented here. Our results provide a stringent test of phenomenological formulae for the scissors mode currently used in stellar nucleosynthesis calculations. We find that those formulae are not satisfactory, and we recommend using sum-rule estimates assuming a rigid-body moment of inertia instead for describing the scissors mode in superheavy nuclei.

Recent measurements of the nuclear level densities and γ-ray strength functions below the neutron thresholds in $^{180,181,182}$Ta are used as input in the nuclear reaction code TALYS. These experimental average quantities are utilized in the calculations of the $^{179,180,181}$Ta radiative neutron capture cross sections. From the latter, astrophysical Maxwellian-averaged (n,γ) cross sections (MACS) and reaction rates are extracted, which in turn are used in large astrophysical network calculations to probe the production mechanism of $^{180}$Ta. These calculations are performed for two scenarios, the s-process production of $^{180,181}$Ta in Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars and the p-process nucleosynthesis of Tam180 in Type-II supernovae. Based on the results from this work, the s-process in stellar evolution is considered negligible in the production of Tam180 whereas $^{181}$Ta is partially produced by AGB stars. The new measurements strongly constrain the production and destruction rates of Tam180 at p-process temperatures and confirm significant production of nature's rarest stable isotope Tam180 by the p-process.