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The region of $N\approx Z\approx 40$ has long been associated with strongly deformed nuclear configurations. The presence of this strong deformation was recently confirmed through lifetime measurements in $N\approx Z$ Sr and Zr nuclei. Theoretically, however, these nuclei present a challenge due to the vast valence space required to incorporate all deformation driving interactions. Recent state-of-the-art predictions indicate a near axial prolate deformation for $N=Z$ and $N=Z+2$ nuclei between $N=Z=36$ and $N=Z=40$. In this work we investigate the shores of this island of deformation through a sub-barrier Coulomb excitation study of the $N=Z+4$ nucleus, \textsuperscript{80}Sr. Extracting a spectroscopic quadrupole moment of $Q_s(2^+_1) = 0.45^{+0.83}_{-0.88}$~eb, we find that \textsuperscript{80}Sr is inconsistent with significant axial prolate deformation. This indicates that the predicted region of strong prolate deformation around $N=Z=40$ is tightly constrained to the quartet of nuclei: \textsuperscript{76,78}Sr and \textsuperscript{78,80}Zr., Comment: Submitted to Physics Letters B

The excited states of $N=44$ $^{74}$Zn were investigated via $\gamma$-ray spectroscopy following $^{74}$Cu $\beta$ decay. By exploiting $\gamma$-$\gamma$ angular correlation analysis, the $2_2^+$, $3_1^+$, $0_2^+$ and $2_3^+$ states in $^{74}$Zn were firmly established. The $\gamma$-ray branching and $E2/M1$ mixing ratios for transitions de-exciting the $2_2^+$, $3_1^+$ and $2_3^+$ states were measured, allowing for the extraction of relative $B(E2)$ values. In particular, the $2_3^+ \to 0_2^+$ and $2_3^+ \to 4_1^+$ transitions were observed for the first time. The results show excellent agreement with new microscopic large-scale shell-model calculations, and are discussed in terms of underlying shapes, as well as the role of neutron excitations across the $N=40$ gap. Enhanced axial shape asymmetry (triaxiality) is suggested to characterize $^{74}$Zn in its ground state. Furthermore, an excited $K=0$ band with a significantly larger softness in its shape is identified. A shore of the $N=40$ ``island of inversion'' appears to manifest above $Z=26$, previously thought as its northern limit in the chart of the nuclides.

Excited states of $^{129}$In populated following the $\beta$-decay of $^{129}$Cd were experimentally studied with the GRIFFIN spectrometer at the ISAC facility of TRIUMF, Canada. A 480-MeV proton beam was impinged on a uranium carbide target and $^{129}$Cd was extracted using the Ion Guide Laser Ion Source (IG-LIS). $\beta$- and $\gamma$-rays following the decay of $^{129}$Cd were detected with the GRIFFIN spectrometer comprising the plastic scintillator SCEPTAR and 16 high-purity germanium (HPGe) clover-type detectors. %, along with the $\beta$-particles were detected with SCEPTAR. From the $\beta$-$\gamma$-$\gamma$ coincidence analysis, 32 new transitions and 7 new excited states were established, expanding the previously known level scheme of $^{129}$In. The $\log ft$ values deduced from the $\beta$-feeding intensities suggest that some of the high-lying states were populated by the $\nu 0 g_{7/2} \rightarrow \pi 0 g_{9/2}$ allowed Gamow-Teller (GT) transition, which indicates that the allowed GT transition is more dominant in the $^{129}$Cd decay than previously reported. Observation of fragmented Gamow-Teller strengths is consistent with theoretical calculations., Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures, to be published in Physical Review C

Background: Electric-quadrupole ($E2$) strengths relate to the underlying quadrupole deformation of a nucleus and present a challenge for many nuclear theories. Mirror nuclei in the vicinity of the line of $N=Z$ represent a convenient laboratory for testing deficiencies in such models, making use of the isospin-symmetry of the systems. Purpose: Uncertainties associated with literature $E2$ strengths in \textsuperscript{23}Mg are some of the largest in $T_z=\left|\frac{1}{2}\right|$ nuclei in the $sd$-shell. The purpose of the present work is to improve the precision with which these values are known, to enable better comparison with theoretical models. Methods: Coulomb-excitation measurements of $^{23}$Mg and $^{23}$Na were performed at the TRIUMF-ISAC facility using the TIGRESS spectrometer. They were used to determine the $E2$ matrix elements of mixed $E2$/$M1$ transitions. Results: Reduced $E2$ transition strengths, $B(E2)$, were extracted for \textsuperscript{23}Mg and \textsuperscript{23}Na. Their precision was improved by factors of approximately six for both isotopes, while agreeing within uncertainties with previous measurements. Conclusions: A comparison was made with both shell-model and {\it ab initio} valence-space in-medium similarity renormalization group calculations. Valence-space in-medium similarity-renormalization-group calculations were found to underpredict the absolute $E2$ strength - in agreement with previous studies.

Detailed spectroscopic measurements of excited states in $^{50}$Cr and $^{62}$Zn were performed using 24~MeV (p,t) transfer reactions on $^{52}$Cr and $^{64}$Zn, respectively. In total, forty-five states in $^{50}$Cr and sixty-seven states in $^{62}$Zn were observed up to excitation energies of 5.5~MeV, including several previously unobserved states. These experimental results are compared to {\it ab-initio} shell-model calculations using chiral effective field theory ($\chi$-EFT) with the valence-space in-medium similarity renormalization group (VS-IMSRG) method. This comparison demonstrates good agreement in the level orderings with these new theoretical methods, albeit with a slight over binding in the calculations. This work is part of a continued push to benchmark {\it ab-initio} theoretical techniques to nuclear structure data in $0^+\rightarrow0^+$ superallowed Fermi $\beta$ decay systems., Comment: Submitted to Physical Review C as a Regular Article. 10 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables

The low energy excited $0_{2,3}^+$ states in $^{96}$Sr are amongst the most prominent examples of shape coexistence across the nuclear landscape. In this work, the neutron $[2s_{1/2}]^2$ content of the $0_{1,2,3}^+$ states in $^{96}$Sr was determined by means of the d($^{95}$Sr,p) transfer reaction at the TRIUMF-ISAC2 facility using the SHARC and TIGRESS arrays. Spectroscopic factors of 0.19(3) and 0.22(3) were extracted for the $^{96}$Sr ground and 1229~keV $0^+$ states, respectively, by fitting the experimental angular distributions to DWBA reaction model calculations. A detailed analysis of the $\gamma$-decay of the isomeric $0_3^+$ state was used to determine a spectroscopic factor of 0.33(13). The experimental results are compared to shell model calculations, which predict negligible spectroscopic strength for the excited $0^+$ states in $^{96}$Sr. The strengths of the excited $0_{2,3}^+$ states were also analyzed within a two-level mixing model and are consistent with a mixing strength of $a^2$=0.40(14) and a difference in intrinsic deformations of $|\Delta \beta|=0.31(3)$. These results suggest coexistence of three different configurations in $^{96}$Sr and strong shape mixing of the two excited $0^+$ states., Comment: Phys Lett B accepted

A $^{52}$Cr$(p,t)$$^{50}$Cr two-neutron pickup reaction was performed using the Q3D magnetic spectrograph at the Maier-Leibnitz-Laboratorium in Garching, Germany. Excited states in $^{50}$Cr were observed up to an excitation energy of 5.3 MeV. Despite significantly increased sensitivity and resolution over previous work, no evidence of the previously assigned first excited $0^+$ state was found. As a result, the $0^+_2$ state is reassigned at an excitation energy of $E_x=3895.0(5)$ keV in $^{50}$Cr. This reassignment directly impacts direct searches for a non-analogue Fermi $\beta^+$ decay branch in $^{50}$Mn. These results also show better systematic agreement with the theoretical predictions for the $0^+$ state spectrum in $^{50}$Cr using the same formalism as the isospin-symmetry-breaking correction calculations for superallowed nuclei. The experimental data are also compared to $ab$-$initio$ shell-model predictions using the IM-SRG formalism based on $NN$ and $3N$ forces from chiral-EFT in the $pf$-shell for the first time., Comment: Accepted for Publication in Physical Review C as a Rapid Communication

The reaction mechanisms of the two-neutron transfer reaction $^{12}$C($^6$He,$^4$He) have been studied at 30 MeV at the TRIUMF ISAC-II facility using the SHARC charged-particle detector array. Optical potential parameters have been extracted from the analysis of the elastic scattering angular distribution. The new potential has been applied to the study of the transfer angular distribution to the 2$^+_2$ 8.32 MeV state in $^{14}$C, using a realistic 3-body $^6$He model and advanced shell model calculations for the carbon structure, allowing to calculate the relative contributions of the simultaneous and sequential two-neutron transfer. The reaction model provides a good description of the 30 MeV data set and shows that the simultaneous process is the dominant transfer mechanism. Sensitivity tests of optical potential parameters show that the final results can be considerably affected by the choice of optical potentials. A reanalysis of data measured previously at 18 MeV however, is not as well described by the same reaction model, suggesting that one needs to include higher order effects in the reaction mechanism., Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures

Four previously known rotational bands in 76Rb have been extended to moderate spins using the Gammasphere and Microball gamma ray and charged particle detector arrays and the 40Ca(40Ca,3pn) reaction at a beam energy of 165 MeV. The properties of two of the negative-parity bands can only readily be interpreted in terms of the highly successful Cranked Nilsson-Strutinsky model calculations if they have the same configuration in terms of the number of g9/2 particles, but they result from different nuclear shapes (one near-oblate and the other near-prolate). These data appear to constitute a unique example of shape co-existing structures at medium spins., Comment: Accepted for publication in Physics Letters B

A highly-deformed rotational band has been identified in the N=Z nucleus 36Ar. At high spin the band is observed to its presumed termination at I=16+, while at low spin it has been firmly linked to previously known states in 36Ar. Spins, parities, and absolute excitation energies have thus been determined throughout the band. Lifetime measurements establish a large low-spin quadrupole deformation (beta_2=0.46+-0.03) and indicate a decreasing collectivity as the band termination is approached. With effectively complete spectroscopic information and a valence space large enough for significant collectivity to develop, yet small enough to be meaningfully approached from the shell model perspective, this rotational band in 36Ar provides many exciting opportunities to test and compare complementary models of collective motion in nuclei., Comment: Invited talk at "High Spin Physics 2001", see http://www.fuw.edu.pl/~hs2001/, to be published in Acta Physica Polonica B

We present a new analysis of the pairing vibrations around 56Ni, with emphasis on odd-odd nuclei. This analysis of the experimental excitation energies is based on the subtraction of average properties that include the full symmetry energy together with volume, surface and Coulomb terms. The results clearly indicate a collective behavior of the isovector pairing vibrations and do not support any appreciable collectivity in the isoscalar channel., Comment: RevTeX, two-column, 5 pages, 4 figures

The binding energies of even-even and odd-odd N=Z nuclei are compared. After correcting for the symmetry energy we find that the lowest T=1 state in odd-odd N=Z nuclei is as bound as the ground state in the neighboring even-even nucleus, thus providing evidence for isovector np pairing. However, T=0 states in odd-odd N=Z nuclei are several MeV less bound than the even-even ground states. We associate this difference with a pair gap and conclude that there is no evidence for an isoscalar pairing condensate in N=Z nuclei., Comment: RevTeX, twocolumns, 4 pages, 4 figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev. Lett

Excited states in 52Fe have been determined up to spin 10\hbar in the reaction 28Si + 28Si at 115 MeV by using \gamma-ray spectroscopy methods at the GASP array. The excitation energy of the yrast 10+ state has been determined to be 7.381 MeV, almost 0.5 MeV above the well known \beta+-decaying yrast 12+ state, definitely confirming the nature of its isomeric character. The mean lifetimes of the states have been measured by using the Doppler Shift Attenuation method. The experimental data are compared with spherical shell model calculations in the full pf-shell., Comment: 9 pages, RevTeX, 7 figures included