No Arabic abstract
Background: Measurements of $beta$ decay provide important nuclear structure information that can be used to probe isospin asymmetries and inform nuclear astrophysics studies. Purpose: To measure the $beta$-delayed $gamma$ decay of $^{26}$P and compare the results with previous experimental results and shell-model calculations. Method: A $^{26}$P fast beam produced using nuclear fragmentation was implanted into a planar germanium detector. Its $beta$-delayed $gamma$-ray emission was measured with an array of 16 high-purity germanium detectors. Positrons emitted in the decay were detected in coincidence to reduce the background. Results: The absolute intensities of $^{26}$P $beta$-delayed $gamma$-rays were determined. A total of six new $beta$-decay branches and 15 new $gamma$-ray lines have been observed for the first time in $^{26}$P $beta$-decay. A complete $beta$-decay scheme was built for the allowed transitions to bound excited states of $^{26}$Si. $ft$ values and Gamow-Teller strengths were also determined for these transitions and compared with shell model calculations and the mirror $beta$-decay of $^{26}$Na, revealing significant mirror asymmetries. Conclusions: A very good agreement with theoretical predictions based on the USDB shell model is observed. The significant mirror asymmetry observed for the transition to the first excited state ($delta=51(10)%$) may be evidence for a proton halo in $^{26}$P.
Remarkable results have been published recently on the $beta$ decay of $^{56}$Zn. In particular, the rare and exotic $beta$-delayed $gamma$-proton emission has been detected for the first time in the $fp$ shell. Here we focus the discussion on this exotic decay mode and on the observed competition between $beta$-delayed protons and $beta$-delayed $gamma$ rays from the Isobaric Analogue State.
Background: The Doppler broadening of $gamma$-ray peaks due to nuclear recoil from $beta$-delayed nucleon emission can be used to measure the energies of the nucleons. This method has never been tested using $beta$-delayed proton emission or applied to a recoil heavier than $A=10$. Purpose: To test and apply this Doppler broadening method using $gamma$-ray peaks from the $^{26}$P($beta pgamma$)$^{25}$Al decay sequence. Methods: A fast beam of $^{26}$P was implanted into a planar Ge detector, which was used as a $^{26}$P $beta$-decay trigger. The SeGA array of high-purity Ge detectors was used to detect $gamma$ rays from the $^{26}$P($beta pgamma$)$^{25}$Al decay sequence. Results: Radiative Doppler broadening in $beta$-delayed proton-$gamma$ decay was observed for the first time. The Doppler broadening analysis method was verified using the 1613 keV $gamma$-ray line for which the proton energies were previously known. The 1776 keV $gamma$ ray de-exciting the 2720 keV $^{25}$Al level was observed in $^{26}$P($beta pgamma$)$^{25}$Al decay for the first time and used to determine that the center-of-mass energy of the proton emission feeding the 2720-keV level is 5.1 $pm$ 1.0 (stat.) $pm$ 0.6 (syst.) MeV, corresponding to a $^{26}$Si excitation energy of 13.3 $pm$ 1.0 (stat.) $pm$ 0.6 (syst.) MeV for the proton-emitting level. Conclusions: The Doppler broadening method has been demonstrated to provide practical measurements of the energies for $beta$-delayed nucleon emissions populating excited states of nuclear recoils at least as heavy as $A=25$.
A study of the $beta$ decay of the proton-rich $T_{z}$ = -2 nucleus $^{56}$Zn has been reported in a recent publication. A rare and exotic decay mode, $beta$-delayed $gamma$-proton decay, has been observed there for the first time in the $fp$ shell. Here we expand on some of the details of the data analysis, focussing on the charged particle spectrum.
The deuteron-emission channel in the beta-decay of the halo-nucleus 11Li was measured at the ISAC facility at TRIUMF by implanting post-accelerated 11Li ions into a segmented silicon detector. The events of interest were identified by correlating the decays of 11Li with those of the daughter nuclei. This method allowed the energy spectrum of the emitted deuterons to be extracted, free from contributions from other channels, and a precise value for the branching ratio B_d = 1.30(13) x 10-4 to be deduced for E(c.m.) > 200 keV. The results provide the first unambiguous experimental evidence that the decay takes place essentially in the halo of 11Li, and that it proceeds mainly to the 9Li + d continuum, opening up a new means to study of the halo wave function of 11Li.
A very exotic decay mode at the proton drip-line, $beta$-delayed $gamma$-proton decay, has been observed in the $beta$ decay of the $T_z$ = -2 nucleus $^{56}$Zn. Three $gamma$-proton sequences have been observed following the $beta$ decay. The fragmentation of the IAS in $^{56}$Cu has also been observed for the first time. The results were reported in a recent publication. At the time of publication the authors were puzzled by the competition between proton and $gamma$ decays from the main component of the IAS. Here we outline a possible explanation based on the nuclear structure properties of the three nuclei involved, namely $^{56}$Zn, $^{56}$Cu and $^{55}$Ni, close to the doubly magic nucleus $^{56}$Ni. From the fragmentation of the Fermi strength and the excitation energy of the two populated 0$^{+}$ states we could deduce the off-diagonal matrix element of the charge-dependent part of the Hamiltonian responsible for the mixing. These results are compared with the decay of $^{55}$Cu with one proton less than $^{56}$Zn. For completeness we summarise the results already published.