Search

Background: Patients with Graves' disease are commonly treated with radioiodine. There remains controversy over whether the aim of treatment should be to achieve euthyroidism or hypothyroidism, and whether treatments should be administered with standard levels of radioactivity or personalized according to the radiation absorbed doses delivered to the thyroid. The aim of this review was to investigate whether a relationship exists between radiation absorbed dose and treatment outcome. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of all reports published before February 13, 2020, were performed using PubMed, Web of Science, OVID MEDLINE, and Embase. Proportion of patients achieving nonhyperthyroid status was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes were proportion of patients who were specifically euthyroid or hypothyroid. A random-effects meta-analysis of proportions was performed for primary and secondary outcomes, and the impact of the radiation absorbed dose on treatment outcome was assessed through meta-regression. The study is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020175010). Results: A total of 1122 studies were identified of which 15, comprising 2303 Graves' disease patients, were eligible for the meta-analysis. A strong association was found between radiation absorbed dose and nonhyperthyroid and hypothyroid outcomes (odds ratio [OR] = 1.11 [95% confidence interval {CI} 1.08–1.14] and OR = 1.09 [CI 1.06–1.12] per 10 Gy increase). Higher rates of euthyroid outcome were found for radiation absorbed doses within the range 120–180 Gy when compared with outside this range (n = 1172, OR = 2.50 [CI 1.17–5.35], p = 0.018). A maximum euthyroid response of 38% was identified at a radiation absorbed dose of 128 Gy. Conclusions: The presented radiation absorbed dose–response relationships can facilitate personalized treatment planning for radioiodine treatment of patients with Graves' disease. Further studies are required to determine how patient-specific covariates can inform personalized treatments.

Multicentre clinical trials involving a dosimetry component are becoming more prevalent in molecular radiotherapy and are essential to generate the evidence to support individualised approaches to treatment planning and to ensure that sufficient patients are recruited to achieve the statistical significance required. Quality assurance programmes should be considered to support the standardisation required to achieve meaningful results. Trials should be designed to ensure that dosimetry results from image acquisition systems across centres are comparable by incorporating steps to standardise the methodologies used for the quantification of images and dosimetry. Furthermore, it is essential to assess the expertise and resources available at each participating site prior to trial commencement. A quality assurance plan should be drawn up and training provided if necessary. Standardisation of quantification and dosimetry methodologies used in a trial are essential to ensure that results from different centres may be collated. In addition, appropriate uncertainty analysis should be carried out to correct for differences in methodologies between centres. Recommendations are provided to support dosimetry studies based on the experience of several previous and ongoing multicentre trials., Highlights • Multicentre clinical trials involving a dosimetry component are becoming more prevalent in molecular radiotherapy. • Recommendations are provided to support molecular radiotherapy dosimetry studies based on experience of previous/ongoing multicentre trials. • In the future, the use of global calibration factors will potentially allow for expansion of existing imaging networks.

Radioactive iodine was first used for the treatment of benign thyroid disease and thyroid cancer 80 years ago. I-131 mIBG was later developed for the treatment of adult and pediatric neuroendocrine tumors. Physicists were closely involved from the outset to measure retention, to quantify uptake and to calculate radiation dosimetry. As the treatment became widespread, contrasting treatment regimes were followed, either given with empirically derived fixed levels of activity or guided according to the radiation doses delivered. As for external beam radiotherapy, individualized treatments for both thyroid cancer and neuroendocrine tumors were developed based on the aim of maximizing the radiation doses delivered to target volumes while restricting the radiation doses delivered to organs-at-risk, particularly the bone marrow. The challenge of marrow dosimetry has been met by using surrogate measures, often the blood dose for thyroid treatments and the whole-body dose in the case of treatment of neuroblastoma with I-131 mIBG. A number of studies have sought to establish threshold absorbed doses to ensure therapeutic efficacy. Although different values have been postulated, it has nevertheless been conclusively demonstrated that a fixed activity approach leads to a wide range of absorbed doses delivered to target volumes and to normal organs. Personalized treatment planning is now technically feasible with ongoing multicenter clinical trials and investigations into image quantification, biokinetic modelling and radiobiology.

Objective. This study considers the error distributions for time-integrated activity (TIA) of single-time-point (STP) methods for patient-specific dosimetry in radionuclide therapy. Approach. The general case with the same pharmaceutical labelled with different radionuclides for imaging and therapy are considered for a mono-exponential time-activity curve. Two methods for STP dosimetry, both based on the combination of one activity estimate with the population-mean effective decay constant, are investigated. The cumulative distribution functions (CDFs) and the probability density functions for the two methods are analytically derived for arbitrary distributions of the biological decay constant. The CDFs are used for determining 95% coverage intervals of the relative errors for different combinations of imaging time points, physical decay constants, and relative standard deviations of the biological decay constant. Two examples, in the form of kidney dosimetry in [177Lu]Lu-DOTA-TATE therapy and tumour dosimetry for Na[131I]I therapy for thyroid cancer with dosimetry based on imaging of Na[124I]I, are also studied in more detail with analysis of the sensitivity with respect to errors in the mean biological decay constant and to higher moments of the distribution. Main results. The distributions of the relative errors are negatively skewed, potentially leading to the situation that some TIA estimates are highly underestimated even if the majority of estimates are close to the true value. Significance. The main limitation of the studied STP dosimetry methods is the risk of large underestimations of the TIA.

Neutron-rich Pm ( Z = 61 ) isotopes were studied by delayed γ -ray spectroscopy at RIBF, RIKEN Nishina Center using the in-flight fission of a 345 MeV/nucleon U 238 beam. A cluster-type Ge detector array, EURICA, was used to measure the delayed γ rays from stopped ions. Isomeric γ decays were observed in Pm 159 and Pm 161 with half-lives of 4.97(12) μ s and 0.79(4) μ s , respectively. Level schemes for Pm 159 and Pm 161 were constructed in this study. The isomeric states of Pm 159 and Pm 161 could be interpreted as two quasiparticle excitations of neutrons with the configurations of ν ( 7 / 2 [ 633 ] ⊗ 5 / 2 [ 523 ] ) and ν ( 7 / 2 [ 633 ] ⊗ 1 / 2 [ 521 ] ) , respectively. They are analogous to the isomers that have been observed systematically in other even-mass N = 98 and N = 100 isotones in this region. A projected shell model calculation was performed and it reproduced the order of three-quasiparticle states only if new Nilsson parameters with an N -dependent spin-orbit interaction were used. This work demonstrates that the strength of spin-orbit interactions in standard Nilsson parameters needs to be modified to study the properties of neutron-rich rare-earth nuclei around A = 165 , and provides new evidence supporting the existence of the deformed N = 98 subshell gap in odd-mass nuclei for the first time.

Background: The evolution of shell structure around doubly-magic exotic nuclei is of great interest in nuclear physics and astrophysics. In the `south-west' region of $^{78}$Ni, the development of deformation might trigger a major shift in our understanding of explosive nucleosynthesis. To this end, new spectroscopic information on key close-lying nuclei is very valuable. Purpose: We intend to measure the isomeric and $\beta$ decay of $^{75}$Co, with one proton- and two neutron-holes relative to $^{78}$Ni, to access new nuclear structure information in $^{75}$Co and its $\beta$-decay daughters $^{75}$Ni and $^{74}$Ni. Methods: The nucleus $^{75}$Co is produced in relativistic in-flight fission reactions of $^{238}$U at the Radioactive Ion Beam Factory (RIBF) in the RIKEN Nishina Center. Its isomeric and $\beta$ decay are studied exploiting the BigRIPS and EURICA setups. Results: We obtain partial $\beta$-decay spectra for $^{75}$Ni and $^{74}$Ni, and report a new isomeric transition in $^{75}$Co. The energy ($E_{\gamma}=1914(2)$ keV) and half-life ($t_{1/2}=13(6)$ $\mu$s) of the delayed $\gamma$ ray lend support for the existence of a $J^{\pi}=(1/2^-)$ isomeric state at 1914(2) keV. A comparison with PFSDG-U shell-model calculations provides good account for the observed states in $^{75}$Ni, but the first calculated $1/2^-$ level in $^{75}$Co, a prolate $K=1/2$ state, is predicted about 1 MeV below the observed $(1/2^-)$ level. Conclusions: The spherical-like structure of the lowest-lying excited states in $^{75}$Ni is proved. In the case of $^{75}$Co, the results suggest that the dominance of the spherical configurations over the deformed ones might be stronger than expected below $^{78}$Ni. Further experimental efforts to discern the nature of the $J^{\pi}=(1/2^-)$ isomer are necessary.

Biokinetic models developed for healthy humans are not appropriate to describe biokinetics in thyroid cancer patients following thyroidectomy. The aim of this study was to adjust the population model for iodine proposed by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) for the use in these patients. Rate constants of the ICRP publication 128 model for iodine were adjusted using the population modelling software package Monolix to describe activity retention in whole-body, thyroid, blood and protein-bound iodine observed in 23 patients. The new set of rate constants was compared to the four uptake scenarios proposed in ICRP publication 128. Flow from the inorganic iodide in blood compartment into the first thyroid compartment decreases to 0.15 d−1 compared to a value of 7.27 d−1 for the ICRP publication 128 model with a medium uptake. The transfer from first to second thyroid compartments and the outflow from the second thyroid compartment increases. An increased turnover rate of extrathyroidal organic iodine is observed. The rate constant from inorganic iodide in blood to kidney was also adjusted. Overall a good agreement was found between the adjusted model and the activity retention in thyroid cancer patients. The adjustment of population pharmacokinetic models to describe the biokinetic properties of specific patient populations for therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals is essential to capture the changes in biokinetics. The proposed set of rate constants for the established ICRP publication 128 model can be used to more accurately assess radiation protection requirements for the treatment of thyroid cancer patients using radioiodine.

5 pags., 3 figs., 2 tabs., Neutron-rich radioactive isotope (RI) beams in the vicinity of Zr110 were produced using the in-flight fission of a 345-MeV/nucleon U238 beam at the RIKEN Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory. The RI beams were separated in flight by the large-acceptance two-stage fragment separator BigRIPS. Isotopes were clearly identified in a low-background particle-identification plot, which was obtained from the measurements of time of flight, magnetic rigidity, and energy loss using beam-line detectors placed in the BigRIPS separator and the ZeroDegree spectrometer. Nine new isotopes, Br101, Kr102, Rb105,106, Sr108, Y110,111, Zr114, and Nb117, are reported for the first time, with their measured production cross sections compared with the extrapolations of lighter isotopes down to the femtobarn regime., This experiment was carried out at the RIBF operated by the RIKEN Nishina Center, and the Center for Nuclear Study, the University of Tokyo. The authors acknowledge the RIBF accelerator staffs for their efforts in delivering an intense 238U beam. This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grants No. 2301752, No. 24740188, No. 25247045, No. 26800117, and No. 16K17680, NRF Grant No. 2016K1A3A7A09005575, STFC Grants No. ST/J000132/1, No. ST/J000051/1, No. ST/K502431/1, No. ST/L005743/1, No. ST/P003885/1, No. ST/P003982/1, and No. ST/P005314/1, DOE Grant No. DE-FG02-91ER 40609, BMBF Grant No. 05P19RDFN1, and Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación under Contracts No. FPA2009- 13377-C02 and No. FPA2011-29854-C04. P.H.R. and G.L. acknowledge additional support from the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) via funding for the UK National Measurement System. P.-A.S. was financed by the RIKEN Foreign Postdoctoral Researcher Program

15 pags., 10 figs., 4 tabs., Newly observed decay schemes of the nuclei Sb137 and Sb138 are reported. The neutron-rich Sb isotopes were produced by the in-flight fragmentation of a U238 primary beam with an energy of 345 MeV/nucleon. Several new excited states of Te137 with tentatively assigned spin-parities of (5/2-), (9/2-), and (7/2) have been established which play an important role in the evolution of neutron levels beyond N=82. The study of the ß decay of Sb138 led to a considerable extension of the level scheme of Te138 including the identification of several nonyrast states. The structure of Te137 and Te138 is discussed on the basis of large-scale shell-model calculations performed using two different effective interactions., This work was carried out at the RIBF operated by RIKEN Nishina Center and CNS, University of Tokyo. Part of the WAS3ABi was supported by the Rare Isotope Science Project (RISP) of the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (MSIP) and National Research Foundation (NRF) of the Republic of Korea (Grant No. 2013M7A1A1075764). This research was supported by NRF of the Republic of Korea (Grants No. 2019R1A6A3A03031564 and No. 2018R1A5A1025563), IBS of the Republic of Korea (Grants No. IBS-R031-D1 and No. IBS-R031-Y1), the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Grant No. FPA2017-84756-C4-2-P), and JSPS KAKENHI of Japan (Grant No. 25247045). The support from FR-JP LIA is also acknowledged. C.S.L. acknowledges the support from NRF of the Republic of Korea (Grants No. 2017M2A2A6A02071071 and No. 2016R1D1A1A09917463). Z.V. acknowledges the supports from the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund of Hungary, financed under the K18 funding scheme with Project No. K128947 and by the European Regional Development Fund (Grant No. GINOP-2.3.3-15-2016- 00034), as well as by the National Research, Development and Innovation Office NKFIH (Grant No. PD 124717).

6 pags., 4 figs., 2 tabs., The change of the shell structure in atomic nuclei, so-called “nuclear shell evolution”, occurs due to changes of major configurations through particle-hole excitations inside one nucleus, as well as due to variation of the number of constituent protons or neutrons. We have investigated how the shell evolution affects Gamow-Teller (GT) transitions that dominate the β decay in the region below 132Sn using the newly obtained experimental data on a long-lived isomer in 127Ag. The T1/2=67.5(9) ms isomer has been identified with a spin and parity of (27/2+) at an excitation energy of 1942−20+14 keV, and found to decay via an internal transition of an E3 character, which competes with the dominant β-decay branches towards the high-spin states in 127Cd. The underlying mechanism of a strong GT transition from the 127Ag isomer is discussed in terms of configuration-dependent optimization of the effective single-particle energies in the framework of a shell-model approach., Part of the WAS3ABi was supported by the Rare Isotope Science Project which is funded by MSIP and NRF of Korea. This work was supported by the Priority Centers Research Program in Korea (2009-0093817), OTKA contract number K100835, the U.S. DOE, Office of Nuclear Physics (Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357), NRF2016R1A5A1013277 and NRF-2013M7A1A1075764, the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad under contract FPA2017- 84756-C4-2-P, the European Commission through the Marie Curie Actions call FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF (Contract No. 300096), German BMBF under Contract No: 05P12PKFNE, JSPS KAKENHI Grant No. 24740188 and 25247045, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 11505302, 11575112, 11775316), the National Key Program for S&T Research and Development (No. 2016YFA0400501), and STFC (UK).

11 pags., 8 figs., 2 tabs., The β decay of the semimagic Sn isotopes Sn136,137,138 has been studied at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory at the RIKEN Nishina Center. The first experimental information on excited states was obtained for Sb137 while, in the case of Sb136, the established excitation scheme could be extended by ten previously unidentified levels. In the decay of the most-neutron-rich isotope Sn138, two γ rays were observed for the first time. The new experimental results, in combination with state-of-the-art shell-model calculations, provide the first information with respect to the evolution of the 0g7/2 and 1d5/2 proton single-particle states with increasing neutron number beyond N=84., We thank the staff of the RIKEN Nishina Center accelerator complex for providing high-intensity beams to the experiment. This work was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación under contracts FPA2014-57196-C5-4-P and FPA2017-84756-C4-2-P and the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council under Grant No. ST/P005101/1. Zs.V. was supported by the European Regional Development Fund (Contract No. GINOP-2.3.3- 15-2016-00034), the National Research Development and Innovation Fund of Hungary (Grant No. K128947), and by RIKEN as short-term International Program Associate.

Reduced transition probabilities have been measured for the neutron-rich Ni73,74,75 nuclei with relativistic Coulomb excitation performed at the RIKEN Nishina Center. For the even-even Ni isotope the determined B(E2;0+→2+) value is compatible within errors with the result of a previous intermediate energy Coulomb excitation experiment, although being somewhat larger. For the odd Ni isotopes B(E2) values have been determined for the first time. In the middle νg9/2 shell nucleus Ni73 three peak candidates have been observed and tentatively assigned to the (5/2+), (13/2+), and (11/2+) excitations. Two peak candidates have been observed in Ni75 and tentatively assigned to the (13/2+) and (11/2+) levels. The measured B(E2) values are in line with the large B(E2) reported in Ni70 and at variance with the small strength measured in Ni72. Excitation energies compare well with the result of large-scale shell-model calculations, while B(E2) values are larger than predicted. This could indicate an increasing contribution of proton excitations across the Z=28 shell closure when approaching Ni78.

Background: Neutron-rich nuclei with mass number between 100 and 110 attract much attention, since several kinds of shapes, such as spherical, prolate, oblate, and triaxial shapes, are predicted. In particular, for neutron-rich Mo isotopes, different models predict different magnitudes and rigidity of triaxial deformation. Previous interpretations of experimental results based solely on low-lying 2+2 states are insufficient to distinguish between the rigid triaxial shape, γ vibration, or γ -soft rotor. Purpose: The shape evolution of 106Mo, 108Mo, and 110Mo is investigated through their 2+1-state lifetimes, decay-branching ratios of the 2+2 state, and energies of the low-lying collective excited states with Kπ = 0+, 2+, and 4+. Method: β -delayed γ -ray spectroscopy was employed for neutron-rich Nb and Zr isotopes produced at the RIKEN RI Beam Factory to populate excited states in 106Mo , 108Mo , and 110Mo . The EUroball-RIKEN Cluster Array was used for high-resolution γ -ray detection and lifetimes of the 2+1 states were determined using the UK fast-timing array of LaBr3(Ce) detectors. Results: New γ -ray transitions and levels are reported, including newly assigned 0+2 states in 108,110Mo . Quadrupole deformations were obtained for 106,108,110Mo from their 2+1 energies and lifetimes. The β -delayed neutron-emission probabilities of 108 Nb and 110 Nb were determined by examining the γ rays of their respective daughter decays. Conclusions: The even-odd energy staggering in the 2+2 band was compared with typical patterns of the γ -vibrational band, rigid triaxial rotor, and γ -soft rotor. The very small even-odd staggering of 106 Mo, 108Mo, and 110Mo favors a γ -vibrational band assignment. The kinematic moment of inertia for the 2+2 band showed a trend similar to the ground-state band, which is as expected for the γ -vibrational band. Beyond-mean-field calculations employing the constrained Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov and local quasiparticle-random-phase approximation method using the SLy 5 + T interaction reproduced the ground and 2+2 bands in 106Mo and 108Mo . The collective wave functions are consistent with the interpretation of the 2+2 band as the γ -vibrational band of the prolate shape. However, the staggering pattern observed in 110Mo differs from the one suggested in the calculations which predict a γ -soft rotor. There was no experimental indication of the oblate shape or the γ -soft rotor predicted in these Mo isotopes.

The level structures of 70 Co and 70 Ni, populated from the β decay of 70 Fe, have been investigated using β -delayed γ -ray spectroscopy following in-flight fission of a 238 U beam. The experimental results are compared to Monte-Carlo Shell-Model calculations including the pf+g9/2+d5/2 orbitals. The strong population of a (1+) state at 274 keV in 70 Co is at variance with the expected excitation energy of ∼1 MeV from near spherical single-particle estimates. This observation indicates a dominance of prolate-deformed intruder configurations in the low-lying levels, which coexist with the normal near spherical states. It is shown that the β decay of the neutron-rich A=70 isobars from the new island of inversion to the Z=28 closed-shell regime progresses in accordance with a newly reported type of shell evolution, the so-called Type II, which involves many particle-hole excitations across energy gaps. Elsevier

Several experiments were conducted at the 10 MV Van-de-Graaff tandem accelerator at the Institute of Nuclear Physics, Cologne, to detect proton emission from the isomeric 6457-keV $$10^+$$10+ state in $$^{54}\hbox {Ni}$$54Ni. Excitation functions for two fusion–evaporation reactions were measured to maximise the population of the rare two-neutron evaporation channel from a $$^{56}\hbox {Ni}$$56Ni compound nucleus. The search for delayed proton emission was based on the $$^{28}\hbox {Si}$$28Si($$^{28}\hbox {Si},2n$$28Si,2n)$$^{54}\hbox {Ni}$$54Ni reaction at a beam energy of 70 MeV. For this reaction, a cross-section limit for the population of the $$10^+$$10+ state in $$^{54}\hbox {Ni}$$54Ni and its proton-decay branch was determined to be $$\sigma < 22$$σ<22 nb.

The field of molecular radiotherapy is expanding rapidly, with the advent of many new radiotherapeutics for the treatment of common as well as for rare cancers. Treatment outcome is dependent on the absorbed doses delivered to target volumes and to healthy organs-at-risk, which are shown to vary widely from fixed administrations of activity. There have been significant developments in quantitative imaging and internal dosimetry in recent years, although clinical implementation of these methods has been slow in comparison with external beam radiotherapy, partly due to there being relatively few patients treated at single centers. Multicenter clinical trials are therefore essential to acquire the data required to ensure best practice and to develop the personalized treatment planning that this area is well suited to, due to the unrivalled opportunity to image the therapeutic drug in vivo. Initial preparation for such trials requires a significant effort in terms of resources and trial design. Imaging systems in participating centers must be characterized and set up for quantitative imaging to allow for collation of data. Data transfer for centralized processing is usually necessary but is hindered in some cases by data protection regulations and local logistics. Recent multicenter clinical trials involving radioiodine therapy have begun to establish the procedures necessary for quantitative SPECT imaging in a multicenter setting using standard and anthropomorphic phantoms. The establishment of national and international multicenter imaging and dosimetry networks will provide frameworks to develop and harmonize best practice with existing therapeutic procedures and to ensure rapid and optimized clinical implementation of new radiotherapeutics across all centers of excellence that offer molecular radiotherapy. This will promote networks and collaborations that can provide a sound basis for further developments and will ensure that nuclear medicine maintains a key role in future developments.

A systematic study was performed of microsecond γ-decaying isomers around Sn100 produced in a fragmentation reaction of a Xe124 beam at 345 MeV/u at the Radioactive Ion Beam Factory of the RIKEN Nishina Center in Saitama, Japan. Half-lives of isomeric states in that region were remeasured allowing us to improve the currently available experimental information. Reduced transition probabilities were deduced and compared to shell-model calculations in various model spaces. The recently reported low-energy transitions in Rh92 and Ag96 were remeasured with improved precision. Additionally, experimental information on isomeric ratios, including five new ones, were extracted and compared to a previous experimental study and the sharp cutoff model of fragmentation reaction.

9 pags., 5 figs., 5 tabs. -- 27th International Nuclear Physics Conference (INPC2019) 29 July - 2 August 2019, Glasgow, UK, The decay of five neutron-heavy rhodium isotopes were studied at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory (RIBF) Facility at the RIKEN Nishina Center after relativistic fission of 238U beam on a thick beryllium target. Previously unknown associated gamma-ray decay energies are reported for each nuclide, and through evaluating the intensity of the 2+ → 0+ E2 transition in the even-even palladium daughter nuclei, 120,122,124Pd, from the beta-tagged gamma-ray spectra an upper or lower limit of beta-delayed neutron emission is deduced for each nuclei. A general, expected trend of increasing Pn is observed in the direction of the neutron drip line., This work was partially supported by the STFC UK (grant numbers ST/L005743/1 and ST/P005314) and UK Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) via the National Measurement System. RS thanks the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) for the award of an NDA Bursary. FGK acknowledges funding by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Physics, under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357.

The β-delayed γ-ray spectroscopy of neutron-rich 123;125Ag isotopes is investigated at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory of RIKEN and the long-predicted 1/2¯ β-emitting isomers in 123;125Ag are identified for the first time. With the new experimental results, the systematic trend of energy spacing between the lowest 9/2+ and 1/2¯ levels is extended in Ag isotopes up to N = 78, providing a clear signal for the reduction of the Z = 40 subshell gap in Ag towards N = 82. Shellmodel calculations with the state-of-the-art VMU plus M3Y spin-orbit interaction give a satisfactory description of the low-lying states in 123;125Ag. The tensor force is found to play a crucial role in the evolution of the size of the Z = 40 subshell gap. The observed inversion of the single particle levels around 123Ag can be well interpreted in terms of the monopole shift of the π1g9/2 orbitals mainly caused by the increasing occupation of ʋ1h11/2 orbitals.

A compartmental model was developed based on activity retention data from 6 patients (2 treatments of 110 kBq/kgA single bone compartment cannot accurately describe activity retention in the skeleton. The addition of a second bone compartment improved the fit to skeleton retention data, and the Akaike information criterion decreased. Mean rate constants of 4.0 (range, 1.9-10.9) and 0.15 (0.07-0.39) hThe developed compartmental model suggests that

The decay of a new four-quasiparticle isomeric state in 160Sm has been observed using γ-ray spectroscopy at the RIBF, RIKEN. The four-quasiparticle state is assigned a 2 π ⊗ 2 ν π 5 2 − [ 532 ] , π 5 2 + [ 413 ] , ν 5 2 − [ 523 ] , ν 7 2 + [ 633 ] configuration. The half-life of this ( 11 + ) state is measured to be 1.8(4) μs. The ( 11 + ) isomer decays into a rotational band structure, based on a ( 6 − ) ν 5 2 − [ 523 ] ⊗ ν 7 2 + [ 633 ] bandhead, consistent with the g K − g R values. This decays to a ( 5 − ) two-proton quasiparticle state, which in turn decays to the ground state band. Potential energy surface and blocked-BCS calculations were performed in the deformed midshell region around 160Sm. They reveal a significant influence from β 6 deformation and that 160Sm is the best candidate for the lightest four-quasiparticle K isomer to exist in this region. The relationship between reduced hindrance and isomer excitation energy for E1 transitions from multiquasiparticle states is considered with the new data from 160Sm. The E1 data are found to agree with the existing relationship for E2 transitions.

The neutron-rich isotopes of palladium have attracted considerable interest in terms of the evolution of the N=82 neutron shell closure and its influence on the r-process nucleosynthesis. In this Letter, we present the first spectroscopic information on the excited states in Pd and Pd studied using the EURICA γ-ray spectrometer, following production via in-flight fission of a high-intensity U beam at the RIBF facility. New isomeric states with half-lives of 144(4) ns and 39(6) μs have been assigned spins and parities of (23/2 ) and (19/2 ) in Pd and Pd, respectively. The observed level properties are compared to a shell-model calculation, suggesting the competition between proton excitations and neutron excitations in the proton-hole and neutron-hole systems in the vicinity of the doubly magic nucleus Sn.

Purpose 223Ra-Dichloride is used for treatment of patients with metastatic bone disease from castration-resistant prostate cancer. The uptake and mechanism of action of 223Ra-Dichloride is not well understood. The aim of this work was to develop a compartmental model for 223Ra-Dichloride in patients to improve understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Methods and Materials A compartmental model was developed based on activity retention data from 6 patients (2 treatments of 110 kBq/kg 223Ra-Dichloride) for plasma, bone surfaces, small intestines, large intestines, and excretion data. Rate constants were extracted. Rate constant variability between patients and treatments was assessed. A population model was proposed and compared with the established International Commission on Radiological Protection-67 compartmental model. Results A single bone compartment cannot accurately describe activity retention in the skeleton. The addition of a second bone compartment improved the fit to skeleton retention data, and the Akaike information criterion decreased. Mean rate constants of 4.0 (range, 1.9-10.9) and 0.15 (0.07-0.39) h−1 were obtained for transport from plasma to first bone compartment and vice versa. Rate constants from first to second bone compartment and back of 0.03 (0.02-0.06) and 0.008 (0.003-0.011) h−1 were calculated. Rate constants for individual patients showed no significant difference between patients and treatments. Conclusions The developed compartmental model suggests that 223Ra-Dichloride initially locates at the bone surface and is then incorporated into the bone matrix relatively quickly. This observation could have implications for dosimetry and understanding of the effects of alpha radiation on normal bone tissue. Results suggest that a population model based on patient measurements is feasible.

7 pags., 4 figs. -- Presented at the Zakopane Conference on Nuclear Physics “Extremes of the Nuclear Landscape”, Zakopane, Poland, August 26–September 2, 2018. -- Open Access funded by Creative Commons Atribution Licence 4.0, The study of nuclei in the region around the N = Z doubly-magic nucleus 100Sn has been of long standing interest for the nuclear structure and nuclear astrophysics. Recently, Park et al. have reported on properties of γ-decaying isomers and isomeric ratios in the vicinity of 100Sn. That experiment was performed at the Radioactive Ion Beam Factory (RIBF) of the RIKEN Nishina Center in Japan as a part of the EURICA campaign. Neutron-deficient nuclei were produced in a fragmentation reaction of a 124Xe primary beam on a 9Be target at an energy of 345 MeV/A. Secondary ions were separated and identified in the BigRIPS fragment separator and implanted in the silicon detector array WAS3ABi. The data presented here were obtained in another experiment performed at the RIBF using the same reaction but slightly different separator settings. New results of ratios of isomeric population and half-lives of γ-decaying isomers populated in the experiment are presented., This work was carried out at the RIBF operated by the RIKEN Nishina Center, RIKEN and CNS, University of Tokyo. The authors acknowledge the EUROBALL Owners Committee for the loan of germanium detectors and the PreSpec Collaboration for the readout electronics of cluster detectors. This work was partly supported by the German BMBF under contract No. 05P12PKFNE and No. 05P15PKFNA and by the U.S. DOE under grant No. DE-FG02-91ER-40609. G.H. is supported by the Bonn–Cologne Graduate School of Physics and Astronomy.

International audience; Excited states in the neutron-rich nucleus 150Ba have been observed via β–γ spectroscopy at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory, RIKEN Nishina Center. The 150Ba ions were produced by the in-flight fission of a 238U beam with an energy of 345 MeV/nucleon. The E(2+) energy of 150Ba was identified at 100 keV, which is the lowest known in the neutron-rich Ba isotopes. A γ -ray peak was also observed at 597 keV. A mean-field calculation with a fully 3D real space was performed and a static octupole deformation was obtained for the Ba isotopes. Kπ = 0− and 1− excited states with significant octupole collectivity were newly predicted at around or lower than 1 MeV on the ground state of 150Ba by a random-phase approximation calculation. The 597 keV γ ray can be interpreted as a negative-parity state, showing that 150Ba may possess octupole collectivity.

The first fast-timing measurements from nuclides produced via the in-flight fission mechanism are reported. The lifetimes of the first 2+states in 104,106Zr nuclei have been measured via β-delayed γ-ray timing of stopped radioactive isotope beams. An improved precision for the lifetime of the 2+1state in 104Zr was obtained, τ(2+1) =2.90+25−20ns, as well as a first measurement of the 2+1state in 106Zr, τ(2+1) =2.60+20−15ns, with corresponding reduced transition probabilities of B(E2; 2+1→0+g.s.) =0.39(2)e2b2and 0.31(1)e2b2, respectively. Comparisons of the extracted ground-state deformations, β2=0.39(1)(104Zr) and β2=0.36(1)(106Zr) with model calculations indicate a persistence of prolate deformation. The data show that 104Zr is the most deformed of the neutron-rich Zr isotopes measured so far.

The low-lying structures of the midshell νg9/2 Ni isotopes 72Ni and 74Ni have been investigated at the RIBF facility in RIKEN within the EURICA collaboration. Previously unobserved low-lying states were accessed for the first time following β decay of the mother nuclei 72Co and 74Co. As a result, we provide a complete picture in terms of the seniority scheme up to the first (8+) levels for both nuclei. The experimental results are compared to shell-model calculations in order to define to what extent the seniority quantum number is preserved in the first neutron g9/2 shell. We find that the disappearance of the seniority isomerism in the (81+) states can be explained by a lowering of the seniority-four (6+) levels as predicted years ago. For 74Ni, the internal de-excitation pattern of the newly observed (62+) state supports a restoration of the normal seniority ordering up to spin J=4. This property, unexplained by the shell-model calculations, is in agreement with a dominance of the single-particle spherical regime near 78Ni. The low-lying structures of the midshell νg9/2 Ni isotopes 72Ni and 74Ni have been investigated at the RIBF facility in RIKEN within the EURICA collaboration. Previously unobserved low-lying states were accessed for the first time following β decay of the mother nuclei 72Co and 74Co. As a result, we provide a complete picture in terms of the seniority scheme up to the first (8+) levels for both nuclei. The experimental results are compared to shell-model calculations in order to define to what extent the seniority quantum number is preserved in the first neutron g9/2 shell. We find that the disappearance of the seniority isomerism in the (81+) states can be explained by a lowering of the seniority-four (6+) levels as predicted years ago. For 74Ni, the internal de-excitation pattern of the newly observed (62+) state supports a restoration of the normal seniority ordering up to spin J=4. This property, unexplained by the shell-model calculations, is in agreement with a dominance of the single-particle spherical regime near 78Ni. ispartof: Physics Letters B vol:781 pages:706-712 status: published

International audience; Isomeric states in isotopes in the vicinity of doubly-magic 208Pb were populatedfollowing reactions of a relativistic 208Pb primary beam impinging on a9Be fragmentation target. Secondary beams of 198,200,202,206Pb and 206Hg wereisotopically separated and implanted in a passive stopper positioned in thefocal plane of the GSI Fragment Separator. Delayed γ rays were detected withthe Advanced Gamma Tracking Array (AGATA). Decay schemes were reevaluatedand interpreted with shell-model calculations. The momentumdependentpopulation of isomeric states in the two-nucleon hole nuclei206Pb/206Hg was found to differ from the population of multi neutron-holeisomeric states in 198,200,202Pb.

Excited states have been studied in \iso{159}{Sm}, \iso{161}{Sm}, \iso{162}{Sm} (Z~=~62), \iso{163}{Eu} (Z~=~63), and \iso{164}{Gd} (Z~=~64), populated by isomeric decay following 238U projectile fission at RIBF, RIKEN. The isomer half-lives range from 50 ns to 2.6 \mus. In comparison with other published data, revised interpretations are proposed for \iso{159}{Sm} and \iso{163}{Eu}. The first data for excited states in \iso{161}{Sm} are presented, where a 2.6 \mus isomer is assigned a three-quasiparticle, K^\pi = 17/2^- structure. The interpretation is supported by multi-quasiparticle Nilsson-BCS calculations, including the blocking of pairing correlations. A consistent set of reduced E1 hindrance factors is obtained. Limited evidence is also reported for isomeric decay in 163Sm, 164Eu and 165Eu.

The (ν 5 2 [532] ⊗ 3 2 [411]) 4− state in 102Zr, populated in the β-decay of 102Y, has been measured to be isomeric with a mean lifetime of 9.5(7) ns. It decays via four transitions, two of which are ∆K = 2 (to the 3+ and 4+ members of the 2+ γ band) and one is ∆K = 4 (to the 4+ member of the ground state 0+ band). The fourth (low-energy) transition is inferred to decay to an as-yet unassigned state. Hindrances of 106 were derived for the ∆K = 2 transitions compared to Weisskopf estimates and the ∆K = 4 transition hindered by a factor of 109 . These values are consistent with the decay pattern of the analogous isomeric state in the neighbouring N = 62 nucleus 100Sr and with the broader systematics of such transitions. A comparison of the hindrances for the ∆K = 4 transitions suggests that 102Zr is hardened against the γ degree of freedom compared to 100Sr.

The level structure of the neutron-rich ^{77}Cu nucleus is investigated through β-delayed γ-ray spectroscopy at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory of the RIKEN Nishina Center. Ions of ^{77}Ni are produced by in-flight fission, separated and identified in the BigRIPS fragment separator, and implanted in the WAS3ABi silicon detector array, surrounded by Ge cluster detectors of the EURICA array. A large number of excited states in ^{77}Cu are identified for the first time by correlating γ rays with the β decay of ^{77}Ni, and a level scheme is constructed by utilizing their coincidence relationships. The good agreement between large-scale Monte Carlo shell model calculations and experimental results allows for the evaluation of the single-particle structure near ^{78}Ni and suggests a single-particle nature for both the 5/2_{1}^{-} and 3/2_{1}^{-} states in ^{77}Cu, leading to doubly magic ^{78}Ni.

The decay of an isomeric state in the neutron-rich nucleus 129 Cd has been observed via the detection of internal conversion and Compton electrons providing first experimental information on excited states in this nucleus. The isomer was populated in the projectile fission of a 238 U beam at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory at RIKEN. From the measured yields of γ -rays and internal conversion electrons, a multipolarity of E 3 was tentatively assigned to the isomeric transition. A half-life of T 1 / 2 = 3.6 ( 2 ) ms was determined for the new state which was assigned a spin of ( 21 / 2 + ) , based on a comparison to shell model calculations performed using state-of-the-art realistic effective interactions.

P. J. Davies et al. -- 6 pags., 4 figs., 3 tabs.-- Open Access funded by Creative Commons Atribution Licence 4.0, The first evidence for β-delayed proton emission from the 16 spin gap isomer in Cd is presented. The data were obtained from the Rare Isotope Beam Factory, at the RIKEN Nishina Center, using the BigRIPS spectrometer and the EURICA decay station. βp branching ratios for the ground state and 16 isomer have been extracted along with more precise lifetimes for these states and the lifetime for the ground state decay of Cd. Large scale shell model (LSSM) calculations have been performed and WKB estimates made for ℓ=0,2,4 proton emission from three resonance-like states in Ag, that are populated by the β decay of the isomer, and the results compared to the new data. The calculations suggest that ℓ=2 proton emission from the resonance states, which reside ∼5 MeV above the proton separation energy, dominates the proton decay. The results highlight the importance of core-excited wavefunction components for the 16 state., This work was partially supported by the German BMBF grant 05P12PKFNE, the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council(STFC) grants ST/J000124/1 and ST/L005727/1, and the U.S. DOE grant DE-FG02-91ER40609.

A. Jungclaus et al. -- 6 pags., 5 figs., 2 tabs. -- Open Access funded by Creative Commons Atribution Licence 4.0, A new high-spin isomer in the neutron-rich nucleus Cd was populated in the projectile fission of a U beam at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory at RIKEN. A half-life of T=6.3(8) ms was measured for the new state which was tentatively assigned a spin/parity of (15). The experimental results are compared to shell model calculations performed using state-of-the-art realistic effective interactions and to the neighbouring nucleus Cd. In the present experiment no evidence was found for the decay of a 18 E6 spin-trap isomer, based on the complete alignment of the two-neutron and two-proton holes in the 0h and the 0g orbit, respectively, which is predicted to exist by the shell model., We thank the staff of the RIKEN Nishina Center accelerator complex for providing stable beams with high intensities to the experiment. We acknowledge the EUROBALL Owners Committee for the loan of germanium detectors and the PreSpec Collaboration for the readout electronics of the cluster detectors. This work was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación under contract FPA2011-29854-C04 and the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad under contract FPA2014-57196-C5-4-P, the Generalitat Valenciana (Spain) under grant PROMETEO/2010/101, the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MEST) (NRF-2014S1A2A2028636, 2016K1A3A7A09005579, 2016R1A5A1013277), the Priority Centers Research Program in Korea (2009-0093817), OTKA contract number K-100835, JSPS KAKENHI (Grant No. 25247045), the European Commission through the Marie Curie Actions call FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF under Contract No. 300096, the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Physics, under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357, the STFC (UK), the “RIKEN foreign research program”, the German BMBF (No. 05P12RDCIA, 05P12RDNUP and 05P12PKFNE), HIC for FAIR, the DFG cluster of excellence “Origin and Structure of the Universe” and DFG (Contract No. KR2326/2-1).

5 pags., 3 figs., 2 tabs., Neutron-rich nuclei in the vicinity of Ni78 were produced using a U238 beam at the RIKEN Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory. The particle-identification plot for the in-flight fission fragments highlights the first observation of eight new isotopes: Mn73, Fe76, Co77,78, Ni80,81,82, and Cu83. Although the β-decay half-lives of Co77 and Ni80 were recently reported by Xu [Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 032505 (2014)]PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.113.032505 using data from the same experiment, the current work provides the first direct, quantitative evidence for the existence of these isotopes. The experimental production cross sections are reproduced in a satisfactory manner by theoretical predictions. An odd-even staggering of the cross sections was observed, and the effect appears to become more pronounced for the most exotic nuclei that were investigated. The staggering effect was interpreted as an increase of the neutron-evaporation probability for odd-N isotopes, owing to the decrease of the neutron-separation energy, Sn. The predicted cross section for Ni80 is significantly overestimated, which may be related to a weak binding of the neutron pair above the N=50 shell closure., This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI (25247045, 25800130), the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación under Contracts No. FPA2009-13377-C02 and No. FPA2011- 29854-C04, OTKA Contract No. K-100835, U.S. DOE Contract No. DE-FG02-91ER40609, and the Priority Centers Research Program in Korea (2009-0093817).

The neutron-rich nuclei $^{158,160}\mathrm{Nd}$ have been studied via delayed $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray spectroscopy of $\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{s}$ isomeric states at the RIBF facility, RIKEN. These nuclei were produced following the projectile fission of a 345 $A\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{MeV}\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}^{238}\mathrm{U}$ beam and delayed $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays were detected by the EURICA cluster Ge array. The isomeric states have measured half-lives of 339(20) ns and 1.63(21) $\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{s}$ for $^{158}\mathrm{Nd}$ and $^{160}\mathrm{Nd}$, respectively. From the observed $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ decays and the systematics of levels in the neighboring Nd isotopes first level schemes were constructed for these nuclei. The isomeric states of $^{158,160}\mathrm{Nd}$ have been assigned spins of $({6}^{\ensuremath{-}})$ and $({4}^{\ensuremath{-}})$, with proposed $\ensuremath{\nu}5/2[523]\ensuremath{\bigotimes}\ensuremath{\nu}7/2[633]$ and $\ensuremath{\nu}1/2[521]\ensuremath{\bigotimes}\ensuremath{\nu}7/2[633]$ configurations, respectively.

This work was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion under contract FPA2011-29854-C04 and the Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad under Contract No. FPA2014-57196-C5- 4-P, the Generalitat Valenciana (Spain) under Grant No. PROMETEO/2010/101, the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MEST) (NRF-2014S1A2A2028636, 2016K1A3A7A09005579), the Priority Centers Research Program in Korea (2009-0093817), OTKA Contract No. K-100835, JSPS KAKENHI (Grant No. 25247045), the European Commission through the Marie Curie Actions call FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF under Contract No. 300096, the US Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Physics, under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357, the STFC (UK), the “RIKEN foreign research program,” the German BMBF (No. 05P12RDCIA, No. 05P12RDNUP, and No. 05P12PKFNE), HIC for FAIR, the DFG cluster of excellence “Origin and Structure of the Universe,” and DFG (Contract No. KR2326/2-1)

P.-A. Söderström et al. ; 11 pags., 6 figs. ; Latin American Symposium on Nuclear Physics and Applications, β- and isomer-decay spectroscopy are sensitive probes of nuclear structure, and are often the only techniques capable of providing data for exotic nuclei that are produced with very low rates. Decay properties of exotic nuclei are also essential to model astrophysical events responsible for the evolution of the universe such as the rp- and r-processes. The EURICA project (EUROBALL RIKEN Cluster Array) has been launched in 2012 with the goal of performing spectroscopy of very exotic nuclei. Since 2012, five experimental campaigns have been successfully completed using fragmentation of 124Xe beam and in-flight-fission of 238U beam. In these proceedings we will introduce the experimental setup and highlight some key recent results around 78Ni, 132Sn, and 110Zn published during 2014 and 2015. Published by AIP Publishing.

For the first time, the γ decay of excited states has been observed in a nucleus situated in the quadrant south-east of doubly magic Sn132, a region in which experimental information so far is limited to ground-state properties. Six γ rays with energies of 50, 86, 103, 227, 357, and 602 keV were observed following the β-delayed neutron emission from Cd85133, populated in the projectile fission of a U238 beam at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory at RIKEN within the EURICA project. The new experimental information is compared to the results of a modern realistic shell-model calculation, the first one in this region very far from stability, focusing in particular on the π0g9/2-1 - ν1f7/2 particle-hole multiplet in In83132. In addition, theoretical estimates based on a scaling of the two-body matrix elements for the πh11/2-1 - νg9/2 analog multiplet in Tl127208, one major proton and one major neutron shell above, are presented. © 2016 American Physical Society.

E Sahin et al. ; 7 págs.; 4 figs.; Presented at the XXXIV Mazurian Lakes Conference on Physics, Piaski, Poland, September 6–13, 2015., The level structure of the 77Cu nucleus has been studied by means of -delayed -ray spectroscopy at RIKEN Nishina Center. Secondary beamparticles in the region near 78Ni were produced via in-flight fission of 238U on a thick 9Be target at a primary beam energy of 345 MeV/nucleon. After identification in atomic number (Z) and mass-to-charge ratio (A=Q) in the BigRIPS fragment separator, the fission products were delivered to the final focal plane through the ZeroDegree Spectrometer. The WAS3ABI silicon stack array was used for the implantation of the ions, while de-excitation rays were detected with the EURICA -ray spectrometer at the focal plane. Beta-correlated particle identification of 77Ni allowed to obtain the -ray spectrum of the daughter 77Cu in a selective way. Experimental details and first results on the excited states in 77Cu nucleus will be presented in this contribution., This work was supported by the Research Council of Norway under project Grants Nos. 213442 and 240104. V.W. was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Grant No. DE-FG02-91ER-40609.

International audience; To investigate the systematics of mixed-symmetry states in N=52 isotones, a relativistic Coulomb excitation experiment was performed during the PreSPEC campaign at the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung to determine E2 transition strengths to 2+ states of the radioactive nucleus $^{88}$Kr. Absolute transition rates could be measured towards the first and third 2+ states. For the latter a mixed-symmetry character is suggested on the basis of the indication for a strong M1 transition to the fully symmetric 21+ state, extending the knowledge of the N=52 isotones below Z=40. A comparison with the proton-neutron interacting boson model and shell-model predictions is made and supports the assignment.