No Arabic abstract
The rare-earth peak in the $r$-process abundance pattern depends sensitively on both the astrophysical conditions and subtle changes in nuclear structure in the region. This work takes an important step elucidating the nuclear structure and reducing the uncertainties in $r$-process calculations via precise atomic mass measurements at the JYFLTRAP double Penning trap. $^{158}$Nd, $^{160}$Pm, $^{162}$Sm, and $^{164-166}$Gd have been measured for the first time and the precisions for $^{156}$Nd, $^{158}$Pm, $^{162,163}$Eu, $^{163}$Gd, and $^{164}$Tb have been improved considerably. Nuclear structure has been probed via two-neutron separation energies $S_{2n}$ and neutron pairing energy metrics $D_n$. The data do not support the existence of a subshell closure at $N=100$. Neutron pairing has been found to be weaker than predicted by theoretical mass models. The impact on the calculated $r$-process abundances has been studied. Substantial changes resulting in a smoother abundance distribution and a better agreement with the solar $r$-process abundances are observed.
We report mass measurements of neutron-rich Ga isotopes $^{80-85}$Ga with TRIUMFs Ion Trap for Atomic and Nuclear science (TITAN). The measurements determine the masses of $^{80-83}$Ga in good agreement with previous measurements. The masses of $^{84}$Ga and $^{85}$Ga were measured for the first time. Uncertainties between $25-48$ keV were reached. The new mass values reduce the nuclear uncertainties associated with the production of A $approx$ 84 isotopes by the emph{r}-process for astrophysical conditions that might be consistent with a binary neutron star (BNS) merger producing a blue kilonova. Our nucleosynthesis simulations confirm that BNS merger may contribute to the first abundance peak under moderate neutron-rich conditions with electron fractions $Y_e=0.35-0.38$.
The JYFLTRAP mass spectrometer was used to measure the masses of neutron-rich nuclei in the region between N = 28 to N = 82 with uncertainties better than 10 keV. The impacts on nuclear structure and the r-process paths are reviewed.
The region near Z=28, N=40 is a subject of great interest for nuclear structure studies due to spectroscopic signatures in $^{68}$Ni suggesting a subshell closure at N=40. Trends in nuclear masses and their derivatives provide a complementary approach to shell structure investigations via separation energies. Penning trap mass spectrometry has provided precise measurements for a number of nuclei in this region, however a complete picture of the mass surfaces has so far been limited by the large uncertainty remaining for nuclei with N > 40 along the iron and cobalt chains. Here we present the first Penning trap measurements of $^{68,69}$Co, performed at the Low-Energy Beam and Ion Trap facility at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. In addition, we perform ab initio calculations of ground state and two-neutron separation energies of cobalt isotopes with the valence-space in-medium similarity renormalization group approach based on a particular set of two- and three-nucleon forces which predict saturation in infinite matter. We discuss the importance of these measurements and calculations for understanding the evolution of nuclear structure near $^{68}$Ni.
The JYFLTRAP double Penning trap at the Ion Guide Isotope Separator On-Line (IGISOL) facility has been used to measure the atomic masses of 13 neutron-rich rare-earth isotopes. Eight of the nuclides, $^{161}$Pm, $^{163}$Sm, $^{164,165}$Eu, $^{167}$Gd, and $^{165,167,168}$Tb, were measured for the first time. The systematics of the mass surface has been studied via one- and two-neutron separation energies as well as neutron pairing-gap and shell-gap energies. The proton-neutron pairing strength has also been investigated. The impact of the new mass values on the astrophysical rapid neutron capture process has been studied. The calculated abundance distribution results in a better agreement with the solar abundance pattern near the top of the rare-earth abundance peak at around $Aapprox165$.
We report on the mass measurements of several neutron-rich $mathrm{Rb}$ and $mathrm{Sr}$ isotopes in the $A approx 100$ region with the TITAN Penning-trap mass spectrometer. Using highly charged ions in the charge state $q=10+$, the masses of $^{98,99}mathrm{Rb}$ and $^{98-100}mathrm{Sr}$ have been determined with a precision of $6 - 12 mathrm{keV}$, making their uncertainty negligible for r-process nucleosynthesis network calculations. The mass of $^{101}mathrm{Sr}$ has been determined directly for the first time with a precision eight times higher than the previous indirect measurement and a deviation of $3sigma$ when compared to the Atomic Mass Evaluation. We also confirm the mass of $^{100}mathrm{Rb}$ from a previous measurement. Furthermore, our data indicates the existance of a low-lying isomer with $80 mathrm{keV}$ excitation energy in $^{98}mathrm{Rb}$. We show that our updated mass values lead to minor changes in the r-process by calculating fractional abundances in the $Aapprox 100$ region of the nuclear chart.