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International audience; Background: Mg24 is a strongly deformed nucleus in the ground state. Deformation effects can be observed in the structure of the isoscalar giant monopole and quadrupole resonances. Mg24 is also a nucleus that is well known to present different types of cluster-oscillation modes. Both giant resonances and cluster states are strongly populated by isoscalar transitions.Purpose: To extract the E0, E1, and E2 transition strengths via Li6 scattering. The Li6 probe is a powerful tool for investigating the isoscalar nuclear response with a very favorable ratio of resonance-to-continuum background.Method: Double-differential cross sections of Li6 inelastic scattering, at the beam energy of 100 MeV/u, were measured in the excitation-energy range 10–40MeV and scattering angles 0−3∘. A multipole-decomposition analysis was performed for extracting the isoscalar E0, E1, and E2 strength distributions.Results: The extracted multipole strengths were compared with predictions from consistent quasiparticle random phase approximation calculations. The theoretical predictions are in fair agreement with the experimental data. The E0 strength was also compared with results from antisymmetrized molecular dynamics calculations found in the literature. A few peaks in the experimental data might be associated with clustering in Mg24.Conclusions: Ground-state deformation effects were observed in the isoscalar giant monopole resonance (ISGMR) and isoscalar giant quadrupole resonance (ISGQR) distributions. The ISGMR strength is split in two peaks around 19 and 28 MeV. The ISGQR exhibits a pronounced peak at 20 MeV with a broadening at the low-energy region, similar to predictions from microscopic calculations. Signatures of excitation of cluster states were observed in the E0 response. Further studies including particle-decay measurements will be required to confirm the nature of the observed peaks.

International audience; Nonyrast, excited states in neutron-rich W186 were populated via inelastic-scattering reactions using beams of Xe136 nuclei accelerated to 725 and 800 MeV. Levels populated in the reactions were investigated via particle-γ coincidence techniques using the Gammasphere array of high-purity germanium detectors and the compact heavy-ion counter, CHICO2. The Kπ=2+ (γ), Kπ=0+ and Kπ=2− (octupole) rotational side bands were extended to spins 14ℏ, 12ℏ, and 13ℏ, respectively. A staggering pattern observed in the energies of levels in the Kπ=2+ band was found to be consistent with a potential that gets softer to vibration in the γ degree of freedom with increasing spin. The odd-even staggering of states in the Kπ=2− band was found to exhibit a phase opposite to that seen in the γ band; an effect most probably associated with Coriolis coupling to other, unobserved octupole vibrational bands in W186.

Nonyrast, excited states in neutron-rich 186W were populated via inelastic-scattering reactions using beams of 136Xe nuclei accelerated to 725 and 800 MeV. Levels populated in the reactions were investigated via particleγ coincidence techniques using the Gammasphere array of high-purity germanium detectors and the compact heavy-ion counter, CHICO2. The Kπ = 2+ (γ), Kπ = 0+ and Kπ = 2− (octupole) rotational side bands were extended to spins 14¯h,12¯ h, and 13¯h, respectively. A staggering pattern observed in the energies of levels in the Kπ = 2+ band was found to be consistent with a potential that gets softer to vibration in the γ degree of freedom with increasing spin. The odd-even staggering of states in the Kπ = 2− band was found to exhibit a phase opposite to that seen in the γ band; an effect most probably associated with Coriolis coupling to other, unobserved octupole vibrational bands in 186W.

International audience; Inelastic Li6 scattering at 100 MeV/u on C12 and Nb93 has been measured with the high-resolution magnetic spectrometer Grand Raiden. The magnetic-rigidity settings of the spectrometer covered excitation energies from 10 to 40 MeV and scattering angles in the range 0∘

Using the high-resolution O18(He3,t)F18 reaction at 0 and at 140 MeV/nucleon, Gamow-Teller (GT) transitions were studied. A high energy resolution of 31 keV was achieved by applying dispersion matching techniques. The main part of the observed GT transition strength is concentrated in the transition to the F18 ground state (g.s.). The absolute values of the reduced GT transition strengths, B(GT), were derived up to Ex=12 MeV assuming proportionality between the B(GT) values and the reaction cross sections at 0. The B(GT) value obtained from the β decay of F18 (g.s.) →O18 (g.s.) was used to determine the proportionality constant. A total B(GT) of 4.06(5) was found and 76(1)% of the strength is concentrated to the ground state of F18. The obtained B(GT) values were compared with those from the O18(p,n)F18 reaction and the mirror symmetric β+ decay of Ne18→F18. The candidates for 1+ states with isospin T=1 were identified by comparison with the O18(p,p′) data. The results of shell-model and quasiparticle-random-phase approximation calculations suggest constructive contributions of various configurations to the F18 ground state, suggesting that this state is the low-energy super GT state.

Fast-rotating N=151 isotones 245Pu, 247Cm and 249Cf have been studied through inelastic excitation and transfer reactions with radioactive targets. While all have a ground-state band built on a νj15/2[734]9/2− Nilsson configuration, new excited bands have also been observed in each isotone. These odd-N excited bands allow a comparison of the alignment behavior for two different configurations, where the νj15/2 alignment is either blocked or allowed. The effect of higher order deformations is explored through cranking calculations, which help clarify the elusive nature of νj15/2 alignments. Keywords: Superheavy, Neutron-rich, Inelastic and transfer reactions, Rotational alignments, Higher-order deformations

Fast-rotating N=151 isotones 245Pu, 247Cm and 249Cf have been studied through inelastic excitation and transfer reactions with radioactive targets. While all have a ground-state band built on a νj15/2[734]9/2- Nilsson configuration, new excited bands have also been observed in each isotone. These odd-N excited bands allow a comparison of the alignment behavior for two different configurations, where the νj15/2 alignment is either blocked or allowed. The effect of higher order deformations is explored through cranking calculations, which help clarify the elusive nature of νj15/2 alignments.

In order to study the Gamow-Teller (GT) transitions from the Tz=+2 nucleus 44Ca to the Tz=+1 nucleus 44Sc, where Tz is the z component of isospin T, we performed the (p,n)-type (3He,t) charge-exchange (CE) reaction at 140 MeV/nucleon and the scattering angles 0∘ and 2.5∘. An energy resolution of 28 keV, that was realized by applying matching techniques to the magnetic spectrometer system, allowed the study of fragmented states. The GT transition strengths, B(GT), were derived up to the excitation energy (Ex) of 13.7 MeV assuming the proportionality between cross sections and B(GT) values. The total sum of B(GT) values in discrete states was 3.7, which was 31% of the sum-rule-limit value of 12. Shell model calculations using the GXPF1J interaction could reproduce the gross features of the experimental B(GT) distribution, but not the fragmentation of the strength. By introducing the concepts of isospin, properties of isospin analogous transitions and states were investigated. (i) Assuming isospin symmetry, the Tz=+2→+1 and Tz=-2→-1 mirror GT transitions should have the same properties, where the latter can be studied in the β decay of 44Cr to 44V. First, we confirmed that the β-decay half-life T1/2 of 44Cr can be reproduced using the B(GT) distribution from the 44Ca(3He,t) measurement. Then, the 0∘, (3He,t) spectrum was modified to deduce the "β-decay spectrum" and it was compared with the delayed-proton spectrum from the 44Cr β decay. The two spectra were mostly in agreement for the GT excitations, but suppression of the proton decay was found for the T=2 isobaric analog state (IAS). (ii) Starting from the T=2 ground state of 44Ca, the (3He,t) can excite GT states (state populated by GT transitions) with T=1, 2, and 3. On the other hand, the 44Ca(p,p') reaction can excite spin-M1 states (states populated by spin-M1 transitions) with T=2 and 3 that are analogous to the T=2 and 3 GT states, respectively. By comparing the spectra from these two reactions, a T value of 2 is suggested for several GT states in the Ex=11.5-13.7 MeV region. (iii) It has been suggested that the T=2, Jπ=0+ double isobaric analog state (DIAS) at 9.338 MeV in the Tz=0 nucleus 44Ti forms an isospin-mixed doublet with a subsidiary 0+ state at 9.298 MeV. Since no corresponding state was found in the Tz=+1 nucleus 44Sc, we suggest T=0 for the subsidiary state.

The Nd-150(3He,t) reaction at 140 MeV/u and Sm-150(t,He-3) reaction at 115 MeV/u were measured, populating excited states in Pm-150. The transitions studied populate intermediate states of importance for the (neutrinoless) beta beta decay of Nd-150 to Sm-150. Monopole and dipole contributions to the measured excitation-energy spectra were extracted by using multipole decomposition analyses. The experimental results were compared with theoretical calculations obtained within the framework of the quasiparticle random-phase approximation, which is one of the main methods employed for estimating the half-life of the neutrinoless beta beta decay (0 nu beta beta) of Nd-150. The present results thus provide useful information on the neutrino responses for evaluating the 0 nu beta beta and 2 nu beta beta matrix elements. The 2 nu beta beta matrix element calculated from the Gamow-Teller transitions through the lowest 1(+) state in the intermediate nucleus is maximally about half that deduced from the half-life measured in 2 nu beta beta direct counting experiments, and at least several transitions through 1+ intermediate states in Pm-150 are required to explain the 2 nu beta beta half-life. Because Gamow-Teller transitions in the Sm-150(t,3He) experiment are strongly Pauli blocked, the extraction of Gamow-Teller strengths was complicated by the excitation of the 2 (h) over bar omega, Lambda L = 0, Delta S = 1 isovector spin-flip giant monopole resonance (IVSGMR). However, the near absence of Gamow-Teller transition strength made it possible to cleanly identify this resonance, and the strength observed is consistent with the full exhaustion of the non-energy-weighted sum rule for the IVSGMR.