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The evolution of the deformation across the Y isotopic chain, in the vicinity of N = 60 boundary, has been studied using gamma spectroscopy methods. The nuclei of interest have been produced by neutron induced fission of 235U and 241Pu targets, during two experimental campaigns named EXILL and FIPPS at the Institute Laue-Langevin in Grenoble. The emitted gamma rays have been collected by HPGe and LaBr3 detectors providing the identification of the high-spin levels in the 94Y and 96Y isotopes up to 6 MeV excitation energy, as well as information about the half-lives of the in-band states in the 98Y nucleus. The obtained results shed new light on the onset of deformation in the neutron-rich Y isotopes and, in general, in the A ≈ 100 region.

In a two–neutron transfer experiment, performed in Bucharest in July 2016 at sub–Coulomb barrier energy,a photon decay hindered – solely – by a nuclear shape change was identified in the 66Ni nucleus. Such a rare process, at spin zero, was clearly observed before only in actinide nuclei in the 1970’s,where fission isomers were found. The experimental findings on 66Ni have been well reproduced by the Monte Carlo Shell Model Calculations of the Tokyo group, which predict a multifaceted scenario of coexistence of spherical, oblate and prolate shapes in neutron–rich Ni isotopes. The results on 66Ni encouraged a comprehensive gamma–spectroscopy investigation of neutron–rich Ni isotopes, in particular 62Ni and 64–Ni, at IFIN–HH (Bucharest), IPN Orsay and ILL (Grenoble), employing different reaction mechanisms to pin down the wave function composition of selected excited states. The aim is to shed light on the microscopic origin of deformation in neutron–rich Ni nuclei, possibly locating other examples of “shape–isomer–like” structures inthis region.

The study of the emitted particles, comparing pre-equilibrium and thermal components, is a useful tool to examine the nuclear structure of emitters. Possible clustering effects, which may change the expected decay chain probability, could be highlighted on the competition between different reaction mechanisms. The NUCL-EX collaboration (INFN, Italy) has carried out an extensive research campaign on pre-equilibrium emission of light charged particles from hot nuclei. In this framework, the reactions 16O+30Si, 18O+28Si, 19F+27Al at 7 AMeV and 16O+30Si at 8 AMeV have been carried out using the GARFIELD+RCo array at Legnaro National Laboratories. Some anomalies in the α-particle emission channels have been evidenced in the measurement reported above, showing in an exclusive way the observed effects related to the entrance channels. The experimental results are compared to model prediction, for which the same filtering and complete event selection have been applied.

The γ-coincidence studies of low-spin structures of 210Bi and 206Tl are presented. The 210Bi nucleus, populated in thermal neutron capture reaction, was investigated using EXILL HPGe array at Institut Laue-Langevin in Grenoble. The experimental results were compared to the shell-model calculations allowing to draw the conclusions on the nature of the low-spin excitations populated below the neutron binding energy in 210Bi (4.6 MeV). It has been found that some levels cannot be described by the valence proton and neutron couplings, but may arise from couplings of valence particles to the 3- octupole phonon of the doubly magic 208Pb core. Moreover, preliminary results of a low-spin structure measurements of 206Tl by the γ-coincidence technique, making use of the 205Tl(n,γ)206Tl reaction at the FIPPS prompt γ-ray spectroscopy facility of ILL are shown. The population of a large number of excited states of 206Tl above the ground state up to the neutron binding energy (at 6.5 MeV), within a few units of spin is expected. The analysis involving double and triple γ-coincidences and γγ-angular correlations will allow to significantly extend the experimental information on the energy and spin-parity of the levels in 206Tl. This will help shedding light on the proton-hole and neutron-hole couplings near the doubly magic core 208Pb.

Radiative capture reactions on rare targets and prompt spectroscopy of neutron-rich nuclei produced in the neutron-capture induced-fission of 235U and 241Pu have been performed at the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL). The high efficiency germanium (Ge) EXOGAM array has been used, complemented with Ge detectors from GASP and the ILL. LaBr3 detectors from the FATIMA collaboration have also been coupled to EXOGAM to measure lifetimes of lowlying excited states. The measured characteristics indicate very good performances of the overall setup. Some recent results will be discussed.

The study of nuclear cluster states bound by valence neutrons is a field of recent large interest. In particular, it is important to study the pre-formation of α-clusters in α-conjugate nuclei and the dynamical condensation of clusters during nuclear reactions [1–5]. The NUCL–EX collaboration has recently initiated an experimental campaign of exclusive measurements of fusion–evaporation reactions with light nuclei as interacting partners. In collisions involving light systems, the low expected multiplicity of fragments increases the probability of achieving a quasi-complete reconstruction of the event. In particular the formation and decay modes of an excited 24Mg system have been studied through two different reactions, 12C (95 MeV)+ 12C and 14N (80.7 MeV)+ 10B, which have been used to produce fused systems with nearly the same mass and excitation energy (~60 MeV). In particular, even the de-excitation of the Hoyle state in 12C have been studied, both in peripheral (projectiles de-excitation) and in central collisions (six α-particles channel). Moreover, a research campaign studying pre-equilibrium emission of light charged particles and cluster properties of light and medium-mass nuclei has been carried out. For this purpose, a comparative study of the three nuclear systems 18O+28Si, 16O+30Si and 19F+27Al has been recently studied using the GARFIELD+RCo 4π setup [6]. The experimental data are compared with the predictions of simulated events generated with the statistical models (GEMINI++ and HFl) and through dynamical models like Stochastic Mean Field (SMF) and Antisymmetrized Molecular Dynamics (AMD) and filtered with a software replica of our apparatus in order to take into account the experimental conditions.

We present a new method for the measurement of very small Γγ partial width that is important for the synthesis of elements in astrophysics. The method is based on the simultaneous detection of scattered beam, residual nucleus and decay γ rays. This method is optimized for the use of the CHIMERA detector at LNS. Experimental details are described.

The mixing ratio of the main 320-keV, M1 + E2 ground-state γ transition in 210Bi has been more precisely quantified, allowing a significant reduction in the uncertainty of measurements of the neutron-capture cross section to the ground state of 210Bi from 25% to 0.9%. Accurate values for neutron-capture cross sections to both the ground and long-lived 9− isomeric state at 271 keV in 210Bi are of particular importance as Pb-Bi finds increased usage in Accelerator Driven Systems.

In heavy ion reactions, in the case of N/Z asymmetry between projectile and target, the process leading to complete fusion is expected to produce pre-equilibrium dipole γ-ray emission. It is generated during the charge equilibration process and it is known as Dynamical Dipole. A new measurement of the dynamical dipole emission was performed by studying 16O + 116Sn at 12 MeV/u. These data, together with those measured at 8.1 MeV/u and 15.6 MeV/u for the same reaction, provide the dependence on the Dynamical Dipole total emission yield with beam energy and they can be compared with theoretical expectations. The experimental results show a weak increase of the Dynamical Dipole total yield with beam energies and are in agreement with the prediction of a theoretical model based on the Boltzmann–Nordheim–Vlasov (BNV) approach. The measured trend with beam energy does not confirm the rise and fall behavior previously reported for the same fused compound but with a much higher dipole moment.