Search

Low-energy investigations on rare ion beams are often limited by the available intensity and purity of the ion species in focus. Here, we present the first application of a technique that combines in-flight production at relativistic energies with subsequent secondary beam storage, accumulation and finally deceleration to the energy of interest. Using the FRS and ESR facilities at GSI, this scheme was pioneered to provide a secondary beam of $^{118}$Te$^{52+}$ for the measurement of nuclear proton-capture at energies of 6 and 7 MeV/u. The technique provided stored beam intensities of about $10^6$ ions at high purity and brilliance, representing a major step towards low-energy nuclear physics studies using rare ion beams.

Experimental determination of the cross sections of proton capture on radioactive nuclei is extremely difficult. Therefore, it is of substantial interest for the understanding of the production of the p-nuclei. For the first time, a direct measurement of proton-capture cross sections on stored, radioactive ions became possible in an energy range of interest for nuclear astrophysics. The experiment was performed at the Experimental Storage Ring (ESR) at GSI by making use of a sensitive method to measure (p,γ) and (p,n) reactions in inverse kinematics. These reaction channels are of high relevance for the nucleosyn-thesis processes in supernovae, which are among the most violent explosions in the universe and are not yet well understood. The cross section of the 118Te(p,γ) reaction has been measured at energies of 6 MeV/u and 7 MeV/u. The heavy ions interacted with a hydrogen gas jet target. The radiative recombination process of the fully stripped 118Te ions and electrons from the hydrogen target was used as a luminosity monitor. An overview of the experimental method and preliminary results from the ongoing analysis will be presented.

The low-lying dipole strength of the deformed nucleus 156Gd was investigated in the energy region from 3.1 MeV to 6.2 MeV using the method of nuclear resonance fluorescence (NRF). The NRF experiments were performed at the Darmstadt High Intensity Photon Setup (DHIPS) at Technische Universitat Darmstadt using unpolarized continuous-energy bremsstrahlung and at the High-Intensity γ-ray Source (HIγS) at Duke University using quasi-monoenergetic and linearly-polarized photon beams. The combination of both experiments allows to separate electric and magnetic contributions and to determine absolute transition strengths for individual excited states as well as averaged quantities over narrow excitation energy regions. The investigated energy regions cover the region of the scissors mode as well as the low-energy part of the Pygmy Dipole Resonance. This is the first experiment where both of these excitation modes as well as the region in between has been successfully studied in a deformed heavy nucleus using the NRF method.

Most theoretical approaches used in nuclear astrophysics to model the nucleosynthesis of heavy elements incorporate the so-called statistical model in order to describe the excitation and decay properties of atomic nuclei. One of the basic assumptions of this model is the validity of the Brink–Axel hypothesis and the related concept of so-called photon strength functions to describe γ-ray transition probabilities. We present a novel experimental approach that allows for the first time to experimentally determine the photon strength function simultaneously in two independent ways by a unique combination of quasi-monochromatic photon beams and a newly implemented γ–γ coincidence setup. This technique does not assume a priori the validity of the Brink–Axel hypothesis and sets a benchmark in terms of the detection sensitivity for measuring decay properties of photo-excited states below the neutron separation energy. The data for the spherical off-shell nucleus $^{128}$Te were obtained for γ-ray beam-energy settings between 3 MeV and 9 MeV in steps of 130 keV for the lower beam energies and in steps of up to 280 keV for the highest beam settings. We present a quantitative analysis on the consistency of the derived photon strength function with the Brink–Axel hypothesis. The data clearly demonstrate a discrepancy of up to a factor of two between the photon strength functions extracted from the photoabsorption and photon emission process, respectively. In addition, we observe that the photon strength functions are not independent of the excitation energy, as usually assumed. Thus, we conclude, that the Brink–Axel hypothesis is not strictly fulfilled in the excitation-energy region below the neutron separation threshold (Sn=8.78MeV) for the studied case of $^{128}$Te.

The $E2/M1$ multipole mixing ratio of the ${1}_{\text{sc}}^{+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{2}_{1}^{+}\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray transition and therefore the $F$-vector $E2$ decay of the scissors mode of the shape-phase transitional nucleus $^{152}\mathrm{Sm}$ have been measured with the nuclear resonance fluorescence method at the High-Intensity $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray Source ($\mathrm{HI}\ensuremath{\gamma}\mathrm{S}$). Furthermore, parity quantum numbers of several dipole-excited states have been remeasured, making use of the polarized $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray beam at $\mathrm{HI}\ensuremath{\gamma}\mathrm{S}$, and partially reassigned. The new data enable an unambiguous determination of the proton and neutron effective boson quadrupole charges within the proton-neutron interacting boson model. With the well-constrained parameter set, a new mixed-symmetry state is predicted.

Background: Numerous studies of the ground-state decay of the pygmy dipole resonance (PDR) have been carried out in the past. However, data on the decay of the PDR to low-lying excited states is still very scarce due to limitations of the sensitivity to weak branching transitions of experimental setups.Purpose: We present a detailed examination of the low-energy dipole response of $^{128}\mathrm{Te}$ and $^{130}\mathrm{Te}$ below their neutron separation thresholds of 8.8 and 8.5 MeV, respectively.Methods: Photonuclear reactions with the subsequent $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray spectroscopy of the decay channel with continuous-energy bremsstrahlung at varying endpoint energies and linearly polarized quasimonochromatic $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray beams with energies ranging from 2.7 to 8.9 MeV in steps of roughly 250 keV were used for probing the decay behavior of the low-energy dipole response in $^{128}\mathrm{Te}$ and $^{130}\mathrm{Te}$. In addition, $(\stackrel{P\vec}{\ensuremath{\gamma}},{\ensuremath{\gamma}}^{\ensuremath{'}}{\ensuremath{\gamma}}^{\ensuremath{'}\ensuremath{'}})$ reactions were used to study the population of low-lying states of $^{128}\mathrm{Te}$.Results: Spin-parity quantum numbers and reduced transition probabilities are determined for individual photo-excited states. The analysis of average decay properties for nuclear levels in narrow excitation-energy bins enable the extraction of photoabsorption cross sections, average branching ratios to the ${2}_{1}^{+}$ state, and the distinction between $E1$ and $M1$ transitions to the ground state and to the ${2}_{1}^{+}$ state accounting for resolved and unresolved transitions.Conclusions: Above 5 MeV, the experimental data are in reasonable agreement to calculations within the quasiparticle phonon model. The major fraction of the ground-state decay channel is due to $E1$ transitions, while less than $5--10$% stem from $M1$ transitions. Furthermore, first direct experimental evidence is provided that the population of the ${2}_{1}^{+}$ state of $^{128}\mathrm{Te}$ via primary $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray transitions from excited states in the PDR region from 5 to 9 MeV is dominated by $E1$ transitions of ${1}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ states.

Particle knockout scattering experiments1,2 are fundamental for mapping the structure of atomic nuclei2–6, but their interpretation is often complicated by initial- and final-state interactions of the incoming and scattered particles1,2,7–9. Such interactions lead to reduction in the scattered particle flux and distort their kinematics. Here we overcome this limitation by measuring the quasi-free scattering of 48 GeV c–1 12C ions from hydrogen. The distribution of single protons is studied by detecting two protons at large angles in coincidence with an intact 11B nucleus. The 11B detection suppresses the otherwise large distortions of reconstructed single-proton distributions induced by initial- and final-state interactions. By further detecting residual 10B and 10Be nuclei, we also identified short-range correlated nucleon–nucleon pairs9–13 and provide direct experimental evidence for separation of the pair wavefunction from that of the residual many-body nuclear system9,14. All measured reactions are well described by theoretical calculations that include no distortions from the initial- and final-state interactions. Our results showcase the ability to study the short-distance structure of short-lived radioactive nuclei at the forthcoming Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR)15 and Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB)16 facilities, which is relevant for understanding the structure and properties of nuclei far from stability and the formation of visible matter in the Universe. Initial- and final-state interactions distort the kinematics in particle knockout scattering experiments, complicating their interpretation. These effects are suppressed by detecting 11B nuclei in quasi-free scattering of 12C ions from hydrogen.

Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research / A 1014, 165701 (2021). doi:10.1016/j.nima.2021.165701, Published by North-Holland Publ. Co., Amsterdam

The electron capture process was studied for Xe$^{54+}$ colliding with H$_2$ molecules at the internal gas target of the ESR storage ring at GSI, Darmstadt. Cross section values for electron capture into excited projectile states were deduced from the observed emission cross section of Lyman radiation, being emitted by the hydrogen-like ions subsequent to the capture of a target electron. The ion beam energy range was varied between 5.5 MeV/u and 30.9 MeV/u by applying the deceleration mode of the ESR. Thus, electron capture data was recorded at the intermediate and in particular the low collision energy regime, well below the beam energy necessary to produce bare xenon ions. The obtained data is found to be in reasonable qualitative agreement with theoretical approaches, while a commonly applied empirical formula significantly overestimates the experimental findings.

Background: Little data is available for the pygmy dipole resonance (PDR) in axially deformed nuclei. Photon-scattering experiments are complicated by high level densities in the PDR region and the small energy difference of transitions to the ground state and to excited states.Purpose: We report on an experimental study of the low-energy dipole strength distribution of the well-deformed nucleus $^{164}\mathrm{Dy}$ between 4.0--7.7 MeV.Methods: The low-lying photoresponse of $^{164}\mathrm{Dy}$ has been investigated using the method of nuclear resonance fluorescence using a quasimonochromatic linearly polarized $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray beam in the energy range of 4.0--7.7 MeV in steps of 0.2 MeV.Results: For excitation energies between 4 MeV and 5 MeV, sufficiently low level densities allow for the identification of individual states, including level energies, reduced transition widths and branching ratios. Energy-averaged mean decay branching ratios, mean population ratios and partial absorption cross sections were determined above 5 MeV up to the neutron-separation threshold at 7.7 MeV. A Lorentzian-shaped enhancement of the partial photo absorption cross section followed by decays back to the ground-state band is found at 6.10(5) MeV with a width of 0.77(23) MeV. A comparison with results from complementary measurements is performed using the framework of the statistical model.Conclusions: The experimental results for the mean population ratios deviate systematically from the statistical model simulation by 30(6)%. However, they are in agreement within one standard deviation of the simulation.

The size of a $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}K=0$ $M1$ excitation strength has been determined for the first time in a predominantly axially deformed even-even nucleus. It has been obtained from the observation of a rare $K$-mixing situation between two close-lying ${J}^{\ensuremath{\pi}}={1}^{+}$ states of the nucleus $^{164}\mathrm{Dy}$ with components characterized by intrinsic projection quantum numbers $K=0$ and $K=1$. Nuclear resonance fluorescence induced by quasimonochromatic linearly polarized $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray beams provided evidence for $K$ mixing of the ${1}^{+}$ states at 3159.1(3) and 3173.6(3) keV in excitation energy from their $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-decay branching ratios into the ground-state band. The $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}K=0$ transition strength of $B(M1;{0}_{1}^{+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{1}_{K=0}^{+})=0.008(1){\ensuremath{\mu}}_{N}^{2}$ was inferred from a mixing analysis of their $M1$ transition rates into the ground-state band. It is in agreement with predictions from the quasiparticle phonon nuclear model. This determination represents first experimental information on the $M1$ excitation strength of a nuclear quantum state with a negative $\mathcal{R}$-symmetry quantum number.

The size of a ΔK=0 M1 excitation strength has been determined for the first time in a predominantly axially deformed even-even nucleus. It has been obtained from the observation of a rare K-mixing situation between two close-lying J^{π}=1^{+} states of the nucleus ^{164}Dy with components characterized by intrinsic projection quantum numbers K=0 and K=1. Nuclear resonance fluorescence induced by quasimonochromatic linearly polarized γ-ray beams provided evidence for K mixing of the 1^{+} states at 3159.1(3) and 3173.6(3) keV in excitation energy from their γ-decay branching ratios into the ground-state band. The ΔK=0 transition strength of B(M1;0_{1}^{+}→1_{K=0}^{+})=0.008(1)μ_{N}^{2} was inferred from a mixing analysis of their M1 transition rates into the ground-state band. It is in agreement with predictions from the quasiparticle phonon nuclear model. This determination represents first experimental information on the M1 excitation strength of a nuclear quantum state with a negative R-symmetry quantum number.

The European physical journal / A 56(4), 105 (2020). doi:10.1140/epja/s10050-020-00118-8, Published by Springer, Heidelberg

Luminosity is a measure of the colliding frequency between beam and target and it is a crucial parameter for the measurement of absolute values, such as reaction cross sections. In this paper, we make use of experimental data from the ESR storage ring to demonstrate that the luminosity can be precisely determined by modelling the measured Rutherford scattering distribution. The obtained results are in good agreement with an independent measurement based on the x-ray normalization method. Our new method provides an alternative way to precisely measure the luminosity in low-energy stored-beam configurations. This can be of great value in particular in dedicated low-energy storage rings where established methods are difficult or impossible to apply., 8 pages, 5 figures

International audience; The nature of the high-lying final levels of the 96Ygsβ decay, one of the three most important contributors to the high-energy reactor antineutrino spectrum, has been investigated in high-resolution γ-ray spectroscopy following the β decay as well as in a campaign of inelastic photon scattering experiments. The comprehensive approach establishes 1− levels associated with the Pygmy Dipole Resonance as high-lying final levels in the β decay. Branching ratios extracted from β decay complement photon scattering and allow the absolute E1 excitation strength to be determined for levels populated in both reactions. The combined data represents a comprehensive approach to the wavefunction of the 1− levels below the Qβ value, which are investigated in the Quasiparticle Phonon Model. The calculations reveal that the components populated in β decay contribute only with small amplitudes to the complex wavefunction of these 1− levels. A comparison of the β decay results to data from total absorption γ-ray spectroscopy demonstrates a good agreement between both measurements.

Background: The low-lying electric dipole strength provides insights into the parameters of the nuclear equation of state via its connection with the pygmy dipole resonance and nuclear neutron skin thickness.Purpose: The aim was to complement the systematic of the pygmy dipole resonance and first study its behavior across the $N=28$ neutron shell closure.Methods: Photon-scattering cross sections of states of $^{50,54}\mathrm{Cr}$ were measured up to an excitation energy of 9.7 MeV via the nuclear resonance fluorescence method using $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray beams from bremsstrahlung and Compton backscattering.Results: Transitions strengths, spin and parity quantum number, and average branching ratios for 55 excited states, 44 of which were observed for the first time, were determined. The comparison between the total observed strengths of the isotopes $^{50,52,54}\mathrm{Cr}$ shows a significant increase above the shell closure.Conclusions: The evolution of the pygmy dipole resonance is heavily influenced by the shell structure.

This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant Agreement No. 682841 “ASTRUm”). This work is supported by the Helmholtz International Center for FAIR (HIC for FAIR), by the Bundesministerium fur Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) (05P15RFFAA, 05P15RGFAA), by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) UK (ST/L005824/1, ST/M001652/1, ST/M006085), by the Helmholtz-CAS Joint Research Group (HCJRG-108), and by the Helmholtz-OCPC Postdoctoral Program (GSI08). C. L. W. acknowledges support by the European Research Council (Grant Agreement ERC-2015-StG No. 677497 “DoRES”). S. D. gratefully acknowledges the support provided by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the Jordanian Scientific Research Support Fund under Grant No. Bas/2/4/2014. S. Yu. T. acknowledges the support by the DAAD through Mendeleev Grant, SPbU(28999675). C. L. and J. G. thank the ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI at GSI, Darmstadt, and JINA-CEE (NSF Grant No. PHY-1430152) for support in the framework of the EMMI/JINA-CEE Workshop “NARRS” during which this work was discussed.

For several nuclei in the vicinity of shell closures an accumulation of electric dipole strength around the particle separation threshold has been reported. This strength accumulation is often referred to as pygmy dipole resonance (PDR). As part of the systematic survey of the PDR, the dipole responses of the even-even chromium isotopes \(^{50,52,54}\)Cr have been measured using the phenomenon of nuclear resonance fluorescence. Spin and parity quantum numbers as well as excitation energies and transition strengths were measured for numerous known and previously unknown states. The comparison to calculations within the quasi-particle phonon model and between the isotopes provide new insight about the onset of the PDR and its evolution to heavier and more neutron rich nuclei.

Physics letters / B 756, 72 - 76(2016). doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2016.02.042, Published by North-Holland Publ., Amsterdam

Background: In the $A\ensuremath{\approx}50$ mass region $M1$ spin-flip transitions are prominent around 9 MeV. An accumulation of ${1}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ states between 5 and 8 MeV generating additional $E1$ strength, also denoted as pygmy dipole resonance, has been established in many nuclei with neutron excess within the last decade.Purpose: The $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-decay behavior of $J=1$ states has been investigated in an NRF experiment. $M1$ excitations have been compared to shell model calculations.Methods: $J=1$ states were excited by quasi-monoenergetic, linearly polarized $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray beams generated by laser-Compton backscattering at the $\mathrm{HI}\ensuremath{\gamma}\mathrm{S}$ facility, Durham, NC, USA. Depopulating $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays were detected with the multidetector array ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}^{3}$.Results: For eleven beam-energy settings the $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-decay behavior of dipole states was analyzed by a state-to-state analysis and average $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-decay branching ratios have been investigated. 34 parity quantum numbers were assigned to $J=1$ states.Conclusions: Six ${1}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ states and two ${1}^{+}$ states have been investigated in NRF experiments for the first time. The $M1$ strength distribution is in good agreement with shell-model calculations.

Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence (NRF) experiments on the nuclei 82Kr and 82Se were performed, that are a candidates for a mother-daughter pair for the hypothetical neutrinoless double-beta (0νββ) decay. The experiment aimed at providing high-precision data to benchmark theoretical calculations of the nuclear matrix elements involved in this exotic decay mode. We have investigated the excitation energy range from 2.3MeV to 4.2MeV, where the nuclear scissors mode is expected to be located in nuclei of this mass region. Our experiment was able to constrain decay branches of the scissors mode down to a level of a few percents, comparable to previous experiments on heavy deformed 0νββ decay candidates. Reduced transition strengths of the magnetic dipole-excited states have been determined by a method that exploits the non-resonant background in the NRF spectra. They are compared to a calculation within the nuclear shell model for 82Se, which reveals their mixed orbital and spin character, hinting at a more complex microscopic structure of low-lying 1+ states.

16TH INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON CAPTURE GAMMA-RAY SPECTROSCOPY AND RELATED TOPICS (CGS16), Shanghai, China, 18 Sep 2017 - 22 Sep 2017; The European physical journal / Web of Conferences Web of Conferences : proceedings proceedings 178, 02022 (2018). doi:10.1051/epjconf/201817802022, This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)., Published by EDP Sciences, Les Ulis

We report on the first (p,p′γ) experiments at Ep=80 MeV to investigate the Pygmy Dipole Resonance (PDR) in the semi-magic nucleus 140Ce. This experiment is the latest in a series of experiments to investigate the PDR with different complementary probes to provide a multi-messenger data set on the properties of the PDR in 140Ce. In addition, calculations within the Quasi-particle Phonon Model (QPM) have been performed. Cross sections have been calculated for proton- as well as α-scattering reactions based on the transition densities obtained from the QPM, not only at the RPA level, but including the full model space of up to 3p–3h configurations. This allows for the first time to compare the calculations to the experimental results on an absolute scale for single excitations. Agreement between QPM and experiment is observed, which proves the high accuracy of the calculated transition densities for individual PDR states. Keywords: Pygmy Dipole Resonance, E1 strength, Direct reactions, Collective levels, Quasi-particle Phonon Model

The achievable acquisition rates of modern triggered nuclear physics experiments are heavily dependent on the readout software, in addition to the limits given by the utilized hardware. This paper presents an asynchronous readout scheme that significantly improves the livetime of an otherwise synchronous triggered VME-based data acquisition system. A detailed performance analysis of this and other readout schemes, in terms of the basic data transfer operations, is described. The performance of the newly developed scheme as well as synchronous schemes on two systems has been measured. The measurements show excellent agreement with the detailed description. For the second system, which previously used a synchronous readout, the deadtime ratio is at a 20 kHz trigger request frequency reduced by 30 % compared to the nearest contender, allowing 10 % more events to be recorded in the same time. The interaction between the network and readout tasks for single-core processors is also investigated. A livetime ratio loss of a few percent can be observed, depending on the size of the data chunks given to the operating system kernel for network transfer. With appropriately chosen chunk size, the effect can be mitigated., Comment: Accepted version

In this paper we propose a pulse shape based method for monitoring the interior temperature of a CsI(Tl) crystal in order to correct the temperature dependence in the energy calibration of the corresponding detector system. The gain dependence on temperature of the CsI(Tl) detector was measured using both, a photomultiplier tube (PMT) and an avalanche photodiode (APD) readout photosensor. The analysis shows that the gain shifts due to temperature variations can be corrected to a precision of better than 1% with both the PMT and the APD, well below the CsI(Tl) intrinsic energy resolution for ~1 MeV γ-rays.

Accurate neutron-capture cross sections on unstable nuclei near the line of beta stability are crucial for understanding the s-process nucleosynthesis. However, neutron-capture cross sections for short-lived radionuclides are difficult to measure due to the fact that the measurements require both highly radioactive samples and intense neutron sources. Essential ingredients for describing the γ decays following neutron capture are the γ-ray strength function and level densities. We will compare different indirect approaches for obtaining the most relevant observables that can constrain Hauser-Feshbach statistical-model calculations of capture cross sections. Specifically, we will consider photon scattering using monoenergetic and 100% linearly polarized photon beams. Challenges that exist on the path to obtaining neutron-capture cross sections for reactions on isotopes near and far from stability will be discussed., SCOPUS: cp.p, ND 2016: International Conference on Nuclear Data for Science and Technology, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

The $E2/M1$ multipole mixing ratio ${\ensuremath{\delta}}_{1\ensuremath{\rightarrow}2}$ of the ${1}_{\mathrm{sc}}^{+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{2}_{1}^{+}$ $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray decay in $^{156}\mathrm{Gd}$ and hence the isovector $E2$ transition rate of the scissors mode of a well-deformed rotational nucleus has been measured for the first time. It has been obtained from the angular distribution of an artificial quasimonochromatic linearly polarized $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray beam of energy 3.07(6) MeV scattered inelastically off an isotopically highly enriched $^{156}\mathrm{Gd}$ target. The data yield first direct support for the deformation dependence of effective proton and neutron quadrupole boson charges in the framework of algebraic nuclear models. First evidence for a low-lying ${J}^{\ensuremath{\pi}}={2}^{+}$ member of the rotational band of states on top of the ${1}^{+}$ band head is obtained, too, indicating a significant signature splitting in the $K=1$ scissors mode rotational band.

We report on the second SOFIA experiment, dedicated to the fission yields of 236U*, analog to 235U(n,f). The measurement is based on the inverse kinematics method, using a relativistic, secondary beam of 236U. Both fission fragments are identified in mass and charge in the SOFIA recoil spectrometer. The obtained isotopic yields are compared with existing spectroscopy measurements and the elemental yields are used to discuss the treatment of the even-odd effect with energy in nuclear data libraries.

We have studied the potential of hard X-ray radiography as a diagnostic in high energy density experiments, proposed for the future Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR). We present synthetic radiographic images generated from hydrodynamic simulations of the target evolution. The results suggest that high-resolution density measurements can be obtained from powerful hard X-ray sources driven by a PW-class high-energy laser system. Test measurements of a prototype hard X-ray imaging detector for photon energies above 100 keV are presented.

A new setup for the characterization of γ - ray detectors has been installed at the NEPTUN photon tagger facility of TU Darmstadt. The tagging technique used at NEPTUN provides a quasi monoenergetic photon source up to about 20 MeV by selecting single γ - ray energies within a bremsstrahlung spectrum. The energy is freely selectable by changing the tagging condition. The detector response function (DRF) of γ - ray detectors for quasi monoenergetic incident photons can be measured. This allows to investigate DRFs of various photon detectors as a function of the incident γ - ray energy. Simulations of DRFs that are intensively used in the analysis of nuclear physics experiments can be tested and compared to experimental data. The experimental setup is presented and the measurement of the DRF of a large volume high-purity Germanium detector is described as an example.

A new approach for constraining the low-energy part of the electric dipole Photon Strength Function (E1-PSF) is presented. Experiments at the Darmstadt High-Intensity Photon Setup and the High Intensity γ → -Ray Source have been performed to investigate the decay properties of 130Te between 5.50 and 8.15 MeV excitation energy. In particular, the average γ-ray branching ratio to the ground state and the population intensity of low-lying excited states have been studied. A comparison to the statistical model shows that the latter is sensitive to the low-energy behavior of the E1-PSF, while the average ground state branching ratio cannot be described by the statistical model in the energy range between 5.5 and 6.5 MeV.

The E2/M1 multipole mixing ratio δ_{1→2} of the 1_{sc}^{+}→2_{1}^{+} γ-ray decay in ^{156}Gd and hence the isovector E2 transition rate of the scissors mode of a well-deformed rotational nucleus has been measured for the first time. It has been obtained from the angular distribution of an artificial quasimonochromatic linearly polarized γ-ray beam of energy 3.07(6) MeV scattered inelastically off an isotopically highly enriched ^{156}Gd target. The data yield first direct support for the deformation dependence of effective proton and neutron quadrupole boson charges in the framework of algebraic nuclear models. First evidence for a low-lying J^{π}=2^{+} member of the rotational band of states on top of the 1^{+} band head is obtained, too, indicating a significant signature splitting in the K=1 scissors mode rotational band.

Background: Two-phonon excitations originating from the coupling of two collective one-phonon states are of great interest in nuclear structure physics. One possibility to generate low-lying $E1$ excitations is the coupling of quadrupole and octupole phonons.Purpose: In this work, the $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-decay behavior of candidates for the ${({2}_{1}^{+}\ensuremath{\bigotimes}{3}_{1}^{\ensuremath{-}})}_{{1}^{\ensuremath{-}}}$ state in the doubly magic nucleus $^{40}\mathrm{Ca}$ and in the heavier and semimagic nucleus $^{140}\mathrm{Ce}$ is investigated.Methods: $(\stackrel{P\vec}{\ensuremath{\gamma}},{\ensuremath{\gamma}}^{\ensuremath{'}})$ experiments have been carried out at the High Intensity $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray Source $(\mathrm{HI}\ensuremath{\gamma}\mathrm{S})$ facility in combination with the high-efficiency $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray spectroscopy setup ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}^{3}$ consisting of HPGe and ${\mathrm{LaBr}}_{3}$ detectors. The setup enables the acquisition of $\ensuremath{\gamma}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ coincidence data and, hence, the detection of direct decay paths.Results: In addition to the known ground-state decays, for $^{40}\mathrm{Ca}$ the decay into the ${3}_{1}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ state was observed, while for $^{140}\mathrm{Ce}$ the direct decays into the ${2}_{1}^{+}$ and the ${0}_{2}^{+}$ state were detected. The experimentally deduced transition strengths and excitation energies are compared to theoretical calculations in the framework of EDF theory plus QPM approach and systematically analyzed for $N=82$ isotones. In addition, negative parities for two $J=1$ states in $^{44}\mathrm{Ca}$ were deduced simultaneously.Conclusions: The experimental findings together with the theoretical calculations support the two-phonon character of the ${1}_{1}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ excitation in the light-to-medium-mass nucleus $^{40}\mathrm{Ca}$ as well as in the stable even-even $N=82$ nuclei.

The low-lying $M1$-strength of the open-shell nucleus $^{50}$Cr has been studied with the method of nuclear resonance fluorescence up to 9.7 MeV, using bremsstrahlung at the superconducting Darmstadt linear electron accelerator S-DALINAC and Compton backscattered photons at the High Intensity $\gamma$-ray Source (HI$\gamma$S) facility between 6 and 9.7 MeV of the initial photon energy. Fifteen $1^{+}$ states have been observed between 3.6 and 9.7 MeV. Following our analysis, the lowest $1^{+}$ state at 3.6 MeV can be considered as an isovector orbital mode with some spin admixture. The obtained results generally match the estimations and trends typical for the scissors-like mode. Detailed calculations within the Skyrme Quasiparticle Random-Phase-Approximation method and the Large-Scale Shell Model justify our conclusions. The calculated distributions of the orbital current for the lowest $1^{+}$-state suggest the schematic view of Lipparini and Stringari (isovector rotation-like oscillations inside the rigid surface) rather than the scissors-like picture of Lo Iudice and Palumbo. The spin M1 resonance is shown to be mainly generated by spin-flip transitions between the orbitals of the $fp$-shell.

R. Reifarth et al: ; 12 págs.; 9 figs.; Open Access funded by Creative Commons Atribution Licence 3.0 ; Nuclear Physics in Astrophysics VI (NPA6), The nucleosynthesis of elements beyond iron is dominated by neutron captures in the s and r processes. However, 32 stable, proton-rich isotopes cannot be formed during those processes, because they are shielded from the s-process ow and r-process -decay chains. These nuclei are attributed to the p and rp process. For all those processes, current research in nuclear astrophysics addresses the need for more precise reaction data involving radioactive isotopes. Depending on the particular reaction, direct or inverse kinematics, forward or time-reversed direction are investigated to determine or at least to constrain the desired reaction cross sections. The Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) will oer unique, unprecedented opportunities to investigate many of the important reactions. The high yield of radioactive isotopes, even far away from the valley of stability, allows the investigation of isotopes involved in processes as exotic as the r or rp processes., This project was supported by the HGF Young Investigators Project VH-NG-327, EMMI, H4F, HGS-HIRe, JINA, NAVI, DFG and ATHENA.

The applicability of LaBr3:Ce detectors for high count rate γ - ray spectroscopy is investigated. A 3 in.×3 in. LaBr3:Ce detector is used in a test setup with radioactive sources to study the dependence of energy resolution and photo peak efficiency on the overall count rate in the detector. Digitized traces were recorded using a 500 MHz FADC and analysed with digital signal processing methods. Good performance is obtained using standard techniques up to about 500 kHz counting rate. A pile-up correction method is applied to the data in order to further improve the capabilities at even higher rates with a focus on recovering the losses in efficiency due to signal pile-up. It is shown that γ - ray spectroscopy can be performed with only moderate lossen in efficiency and high resolution at count rates even above 1 MHz and that the performance can be enhanced in the region between 500 kHz and 10 MHz by using the applied pile-up correction techniques.

The Darmstadt High-Intensity Photon Setup (DHIPS) for photon-scattering and photodissociation experiments at the superconducting electron linear accelerator S–DALINAC has been improved. We report on its present performance. The developments include the installation of a segmented radiator for an online evaluation of the beam energy and the construction of a second photon-scattering setup with a Clover detector to deduce parity assignments. The enhancement of the existing photon-scattering setup with an additional 100% HPGe detector and some minor changes are described as well as the installation of two setups for photon-induced activation. In addition, we present a comparison of experimental data to Monte Carlo simulations using the codes Geant 3.21 and GEANT4.

A new approach to pulse shape classification for neutron detectors of type BC501A has been investigated. The method is based on the fuzzy c-means (FCM) algorithm, which allows finding clusters of similar shapes in a set of digitized detector pulses. The aim of the method is to provide principal pulse shapes, which further can be used to apply a pulse shape based particle identification. Since the method is not adapted to the case of liquid scintillator signals it is of general use and can also be applied to signals of other detector types. A detailed study of the quality of the FCM method for the search of principal pulse shapes in BC501A liquid scintillators is presented using a 500 Msample/s 12 bit digitizer and a 252Cf neutron source. A comparison to principal pulse shapes extracted using time-of-flight information proves the applicability of the method. Finally, an example of a pulse shape discrimination method based on the extracted principal pulse shapes is presented and compared to the well-known integration method.

12TH INTERNATIONAL SPRING SEMINAR ON NUCLEAR PHYSICS: CURRENT PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS FOR NUCLEAR STRUCTURE, Napoli, Italy, 15 May 2017 - 19 May 2017; Journal of physics / Conference Series 966, 012035 (2018). doi:10.1088/1742-6596/966/1/012035, Published by IOP Publ., Bristol

A new photon tagging spectrometer was built at the superconducting Darmstadt electron linear accelerator (S-DALINAC). The system is designed for tagging photons in an energy range from 6 to 20 MeV with the emphasis on best possible energy resolution and intensity. The absolute energy resolution of photons at 10 MeV is expected to be about 20 keV. With scintillating fibres as focal-plane detectors a maximum rate of tagged photons of 10 4 keV-1s-1 will be achieved. Detailed design studies including Monte Carlo simulations are presented, as well as results for the measured tagged photon energy profile of the system realized so far. This photon-tagging facility will allow to determine the photon absorption cross-sections as a function of excitation energy and to study the decay patterns of nuclear photo-excitations in great detail.

One of the basic ingredients for the modelling of the nucleosynthesis of heavy elements are so-called photon strength functions and the assumption of the Brink-Axel hypothesis. This hypothesis has been studied for many years by numerous experiments using different and complementary reactions. The present manuscript aims to introduce a model-independent approach to study photon strength functions via γ-γ coincidence spectroscopy of photoexcited states in 128Te. The experimental results provide evidence that the photon strength function extracted from photoabsorption cross sections is not in an overall agreement with the one determined from direct transitions to low-lying excited states.