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The nuclear two-photon or double-gamma ($2\gamma$) decay is a second-order electromagnetic process whereby a nucleus in an excited state emits two gamma rays simultaneously. To be able to directly measure the $2\gamma$ decay rate in the low-energy regime below the electron-positron pair-creation threshold, we combined the isochronous mode of a storage ring with Schottky resonant cavities. The newly developed technique can be applied to isomers with excitation energies down to $\sim100$\,keV and half-lives as short as $\sim10$\,ms. The half-life for the $2\gamma$ decay of the first-excited $0^+$ state in bare $^{72}\mathrm{Ge}$ ions was determined to be $23.9\left(6\right)$\,ms, which strongly deviates from expectations., Comment: Submitted to Physical Review Letters, 8 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables, 7 equations

Diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMS) are interesting because of the interplay between the electronic and magnetic subsystems. We describe selected magnetic properties of IV-VI diluted magnetic semiconductors, looking at the similarities and differences between magnetic properties of II-VI, IV-VI, and III-V DMS. We focus on the influence of the crystalline and electronic structure of the material on its magnetic properties, especially on the exchange interactions among magnetic ions. We describe methods of determination of the exchange parameters by using different experimental techniques, such as measurements of magnetic susceptibility, magnetization, and specific heat. We follow the development in the material technology from bulk crystals to thin films and nanostructures.

The neutron-rich $^{213}$Pb isotope was produced in the fragmentation of a primary 1 GeV $A$ $^{238}$U beam, separated in FRS in mass and atomic number, and then implanted for isomer decay $\gamma$-ray spectroscopy with the RISING setup at GSI. A newly observed isomer and its measured decay properties indicate that states in $^{213}$Pb are characterized by the seniority quantum number that counts the nucleons not in pairs coupled to angular momentum $J=0$. The conservation of seniority is a consequence of the Berry phase associated with particle-hole conjugation, which becomes gauge invariant and therefore observable in semi-magic nuclei where nucleons half-fill the valence shell. The $\gamma$-ray spectroscopic observables in $^{213}$Pb are thus found to be driven by two mechanisms, particle-hole conjugation and seniority conservation, which are intertwined through the Berry phase.

We present studies of structural, magnetic and electrical properties of Zn/1-x-y/Cd/x/Mn/y/GeAs/2/ nanocomposite ferromagnetic semiconductor samples with changeable chemical composition. The presence of MnAs clusters induces in the studied alloy room temperature ferromagnetism with the Curie temperature, TC, around 305 K. The chemical composition of the chalcopyrite matrix controls the geometrical parameters of the clusters inducing different magnetoresistance effects in the crystals. The presence of ferromagnetic clusters in the alloy induces either negative or positive magnetoresistance with different values. The Cd-content allows a change of magnetoresistance sign in our samples from negative (for x = 0.85) to positive (for x = 0.12). The negative magnetoresistance present in the samples with x = 0.85 is observed at temperatures T < 25 K with maximum values of about -32% at T = 1.4 K and B = 13 T, strongly depending on the Mn content, y. The positive magnetoresistance present in the samples with x = 0.12 is observed with maximum values not exceeding 50% at B =13 T and T = 4.3 K, changing with the Mn content, y., Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures

The purpose of this study was to investigate the magnetotransport properties of the Ge(0.743)Pb(0.183)Mn(0.074)Te mixed crystal. The results of magnetization measurements indicated that the compound is a spin-glass-like diluted magnetic semiconductor with critical temperature TSG = 97.5 K. Nanoclusters in the sample are observed. Both, matrix and clusters are magnetically active. Resistivity as a function of temperature has a minimum at 30 K. Below the minimum a variable-range hopping is observed, while above the minimum a metallic-like behavior occurs. The crystal has high hole concentration, p = 6.6E20 cm-3, temperature-independent. Magnetoresistance amplitude changes from -0.78 to 1.18% with increase of temperature. In the magnetotransport measurements we observed the anomalous Hall effect (AHE) with hysteresis loops. Calculated AHE coefficient, RS = 2.0E6 m3/C, is temperature independent. The analysis indicates the extrinsic skew scattering mechanism to be the main physical mechanism responsible for AHE in Ge(0.743)Pb(0.183)Mn(0.074)Te alloy., Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures

Magnetic and transport properties of Ge(1-x-y)Mn(x)Eu(y)Te crystals with chemical compositions 0.041 < x < 0.092 and 0.010 < y < 0.043 are studied. Ferromagnetic order is observed at 150 < T < 160 K. Aggregation of magnetic ions into clusters is found to be the source of almost constant, composition independent Curie temperatures in our samples. Magnetotransport studies show the presence of both negative (at T < 25 K) and linear positive (for 25

We present the studies of structural, electrical, and magnetic properties of bulk Cd$_{1\textrm{-}x}$Mn$_{x}$GeAs$_{2}$ crystals with low Mn content, $x$, varying from 0 to 0.037. The studied samples have excellent crystallographic quality indicated by the presence of diffraction patterns never before observed experimentally for this compound. The electrical transport in our samples is dominated by thermal activation of conducting holes from the impurity states to the valence band with activation energy of about 200$\;$meV. The defect states acting as ionic scattering centers with concentration in the range from 6 to 15$\times$10$^{17}$$\;$cm$^{-3}$ are observed. The effective Mn content in our samples, $\bar{x}_{\theta}$, determined from fit of the susceptibility data to the Curie-Weiss law, is very close to the average chemical content, $x$. It indicates that the Mn ions are distributed randomly, substituting the Cd sites in the host CdGeAs$_{2}$ lattice. We observe a negative Curie-Weiss temperature, $|\theta|$$\,$$\leq$$\,$3.1$\;$K, increasing as a function of $x$. This indicates the significance of the short-range interactions between the Mn ions., Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures

The Coulomb Dissociation (CD) cross sections of the stable isotopes 92,94,100Mo and of the unstable isotope 93Mo were measured at the LAND/R3B setup at GSI Helmholtzzentrum f\"ur Schwerionenforschung in Darmstadt, Germany. Experimental data on these isotopes may help to explain the problem of the underproduction of 92,94Mo and 96,98Ru in the models of p-process nucleosynthesis. The CD cross sections obtained for the stable Mo isotopes are in good agreement with experiments performed with real photons, thus validating the method of Coulomb Dissociation. The result for the reaction 93Mo(g,n) is especially important since the corresponding cross section has not been measured before. A preliminary integral Coulomb Dissociation cross section of the 94Mo(g,n) reaction is presented. Further analysis will complete the experimental database for the (g,n) production chain of the p-isotopes of molybdenum., Comment: Talk given at the Conference Nuclear Physice in Astrophysics VI (NPA6), Lisbon, Portugal, May 19-24 2013. To appear in the NPA6 Proceedings in Journal of Physics: Conference Series (JPCS). 6 pages, 6 figures

We present the studies of Sn/1-x/Cr/x/Te semimagnetic semiconductors with chemical composition x ranging from 0.004 to 0.012. The structural characterization indicates that even at low average Cr-content x < ?0.012, the aggregation into micrometer size clusters appears in our samples. The magnetic properties are affected by the presence of clusters. In all our samples we observe the transition into the ordered state at temperatures between 130 and 140 K. The analysis of both static and dynamic magnetic susceptibility data indicates that the spin-glass-like state is observed in our samples. The addition of Cr to the alloy seems to shift the spin-glass-like transition from 130 K for x = 0.004 to 140 K for x = 0.012., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures

We present the studies of electrical transport and magnetic interactions in Zn_{1-x}Mn_{x}GeAs_{2} crystals with low Mn content 0 \leq x \leq 0.043. We show that the ionic-acceptor defects are mainly responsible for the strong p-type conductivity of our samples. We found that the negative magnetoresistance (MR) with maximum values of about -50% is related to the weak localization phenomena. The magnetic properties of Zn1-xMnxGeAs2 samples show that the random Mn-distribution in the cation sites of the host lattice occurs only for the sample with the lowest Mn-content, x=0.003. The samples with higher Mn-content show a high level of magnetic frustration. Nonzero Curie-Weiss temperature observed in all our samples indicates that weak ferromagnetic (for x=0.003) or antiferromagnetic (for x>0.005) interactions with |{\Theta}|<3 K are present in this system. The RKKY model, used to estimate the Mn-hole exchange integral Jpd for the diluted Zn/0.997/Mn/0.003/GeAs/2/ sample, makes possible to estimate the value of Jpd =(0.75+/-0.09) eV., Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures

Long-lived isomers in 212Bi have been studied following 238U projectile fragmentation at 670 MeV per nucleon. The fragmentation products were injected as highly charged ions into the GSI storage ring, giving access to masses and half-lives. While the excitation energy of the first isomer of 212Bi was confirmed, the second isomer was observed at 1478(30) keV, in contrast to the previously accepted value of >1910 keV. It was also found to have an extended Lorentz-corrected in-ring halflife >30 min, compared to 7.0(3) min for the neutral atom. Both the energy and half-life differences can be understood as being due a substantial, though previously unrecognised, internal decay branch for neutral atoms. Earlier shell-model calculations are now found to give good agreement with the isomer excitation energy. Furthermore, these and new calculations predict the existence of states at slightly higher energy that could facilitate isomer de-excitation studies., Comment: published in PRL 110, 122502

Neutron-rich silver isotopes were populated in the fragmentation of a 136Xe beam and the relativistic fission of 238U. The fragments were mass analyzed with the GSI Fragment separator and subsequently implanted into a passive stopper. Isomeric transitions were detected by 105 HPGe detectors. Eight isomeric states were observed in 122-126Ag nuclei. The level schemes of 122,123,125Ag were revised and extended with isomeric transitions being observed for the first time. The excited states in the odd-mass silver isotopes are interpreted as core-coupled states. The isomeric states in the even-mass silver isotopes are discussed in the framework of the proton-neutron split multiplets. The results of shell-model calculations, performed for the most neutron-rich silver nuclei are compared to the experimental data.

We present the experimental evidence for the presence of spinodal decomposition of the magnetic ions in the Ge/1-x-y/Cr/x/Eu/y/Te samples with chemical composition varying in the range of 0.015 < x < 0.057 and 0.003 < y < 0.042. The ferromagnetic transition at temperatures 50 < T < 57 K was observed, independent of the chemical composition. The long-range carrier mediated itinerant magnetic interactions seem to be responsible for the observed ferromagnetic order. The magnetic irreversibility with coercive field H/C/ = 5?63 mT and the saturation magnetization M/S/

Exotic Ni isotopes have been measured at the R3B-LAND setup at GSI in Darmstadt, using Coulomb excitation in inverse kinematics at beam energies around 500 MeV/u. As the experimental setup allows kinematically complete measurements, the excitation energy was reconstructed using the invariant mass method. The GDR and additional low-lying strength have been observed in 68Ni, the latter exhausting 4.1(1.9)% of the E1 energy-weighted sum rule. Also, the branching ratio for the non-statistical decay of the excited 68Ni nuclei was measured and amounts to 24(4)%., Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures. Invited Talk given at the 11th International Conference on Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions (NN2012), San Antonio, Texas, USA, May 27-June 1, 2012. To appear in the NN2012 Proceedings in Journal of Physics: Conference Series (JPCS)

We present the studies of magnetic properties of Ge/1-x/Cr/x/Te diluted magnetic semiconductor with changeable chemical composition 0.016 \leq x \leq 0.061. A spin-glass state (at T \leq 35 K) for x = 0.016 and 0.025 and a ferromagnetic phase (at T < 60 K) for x \geq 0.030 are observed. The long range carrier-mediated magnetic interactions are found to be responsible for the observed magnetic ordering for x < 0.045, while for x \geq 0.045 the spinodal decomposition of Cr ions leads to a maximum and decrease of the Curie temperature, TC, with increasing x. The calculations based on spin waves model are able to reproduce the observed magnetic properties at a homogeneous limit of Cr alloying, e.g. x < 0.04, and prove that carrier mediated Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) interaction is responsible for the observed magnetic states. The value of the Cr-hole exchange integral, Jpd, estimated via fitting of the experimental results with the theoretical model, is in the limits 0.77...0.88 eV., Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures

Neutron-rich nuclei were populated in a relativistic fission of 238U. Gamma-rays with energies of 135 keV and 184 keV were associated with two isomeric states in 121Pd and 117Ru. Half-lives of 0.63(5) microseconds and 2.0(3) micrisecondss were deduced and the isomeric states were interpreted in terms of deformed single-particle states.

A beta-decay study of Cu-77 has been performed at the ISOLDE mass separator with the aim to deduce its beta-decay properties and to obtain spectroscopic information on Zn-77. Neutron-rich copper isotopes were produced by means of proton- or neutron-induced fission reactions on U-238. After the production, Cu-77 was selectively laser ionized, mass separated and sent to different detection systems where beta-gamma and beta-n coincidence data were collected. We report on the deduced half-live, decay scheme, and possible spin assignment of 77Cu.

Results are presented from a one-neutron knockout reaction at relativistic energies on 56Ti using the GSI FRS as a two-stage magnetic spectrometer and the Miniball array for gamma-ray detection. Inclusive and exclusive longitudinal momentum distributions and cross-sections were measured enabling the determination of the orbital angular momentum of the populated states. First-time observation of the 955(6) keV nu p3/2-hole state in 55Ti is reported. The measured data for the first time proves that the ground state of 55Ti is a 1/2- state, in agreement with shell-model calculations using the GXPF1A interaction that predict a sizable N=34 gap in 54Ca., Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Physics Letters B 13 pages, 4 figures, resubmitted to Physics Letters B (major revision to meet the suggestions of the reviewers)

The temperature dependence of the magnetic specific heat has been studied experimentally and theoretically in the semimagnetic semiconductor Pb_{1-x}Eu_{x}Te for x=0.027 and x=0.073, over the temperature range from 0.5 K to 10 K, in magnetic fields up to 2 T. There was a maximum in the magnetic specific heat between 1 and 3 K even in zero and low magnetic fields; this maximum shifted toward higher temperatures with increasing magnetic field. The experimental data have been analyzed in the framework of a model in which we assume that the ground states of europium ions are split even without an external magnetic field. We present arguments which support this assumption and we show that it is possible to find a physical mechanism leading to the splitting which can explain the experimental results., Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, submitted to Physical Review B