No Arabic abstract
The low-lying excited states in the neutron-deficient $N=Z+1$ nucleus $^{87}_{43}$Tc$^{ }_{44}$ have been studied via the fusion-evaporation reaction $^{54}$Fe($^{36}$Ar, $2n1p$)$^{87}$Tc at the Grand Accelerateur National dIons Lourds (GANIL), France. The AGATA spectrometer was used in conjunction with the auxiliary NEDA, Neutron Wall, and DIAMANT detector arrays to measure coincident prompt $gamma$-rays, neutrons, and charged particles emitted in the reaction. A level scheme of $^{87}$Tc from the (9/2$^{+}_{g.s.}$) state to the (33/2$^{+}_{1}$) state was established based on 6 mutually coincident $gamma$-ray transitions. The constructed level structure exhibits a rotational behavior with a sharp backbending at $hbaromegaapprox 0.50$ MeV. A decrease in alignment frequency and increase in alignment sharpness in the odd-mass isotonic chains around $N=44$ is proposed as an effect of the enhanced isoscalar neutron-proton interactions in odd-mass nuclei when approaching the $N=Z$ line.
The general phenomenon of shell structure in atomic nuclei has been understood since the pioneering work of Goeppert-Mayer, Haxel, Jensen and Suess.They realized that the experimental evidence for nuclear magic numbers could be explained by introducing a strong spin-orbit interaction in the nuclear shell model potential. However, our detailed knowledge of nuclear forces and the mechanisms governing the structure of nuclei, in particular far from stability, is still incomplete. In nuclei with equal neutron and proton numbers ($N = Z$), the unique nature of the atomic nucleus as an object composed of two distinct types of fermions can be expressed as enhanced correlations arising between neutrons and protons occupying orbitals with the same quantum numbers. Such correlations have been predicted to favor a new type of nuclear superfluidity; isoscalar neutron-proton pairing, in addition to normal isovector pairing (see Fig. 1). Despite many experimental efforts these predictions have not been confirmed. Here, we report on the first observation of excited states in $N = Z = 46$ nucleus $^{92}$Pd. Gamma rays emitted following the $^{58}$Ni($^{36}$Ar,2$n$)$^{92}$Pd fusion-evaporation reaction were identified using a combination of state-of-the-art high-resolution {gamma}-ray, charged-particle and neutron detector systems. Our results reveal evidence for a spin-aligned, isoscalar neutron-proton coupling scheme, different from the previous prediction. We suggest that this coupling scheme replaces normal superfluidity (characterized by seniority coupling) in the ground and low-lying excited states of the heaviest N = Z nuclei. The strong isoscalar neutron- proton correlations in these $N = Z$ nuclei are predicted to have a considerable impact on their level structures, and to influence the dynamics of the stellar rapid proton capture nucleosynthesis process.
Vector analyzing power for the proton-6He elastic scattering at 71 MeV/nucleon has been measured for the first time, with a newly developed polarized proton solid target working at low magnetic field of 0.09 T. The results are found to be incompatible with a t-matrix folding model prediction. Comparisons of the data with g-matrix folding analyses clearly show that the vector analyzing power is sensitive to the nuclear structure model used in the reaction analysis. The alpha-core distribution in 6He is suggested to be a possible key to understand the nuclear structure sensitivity.
We report on the results of the E06-014 experiment performed at Jefferson Lab in Hall A, where a precision measurement of the twist-3 matrix element $d_2$ of the neutron ($d_{2}^{n}$) was conducted. This quantity represents the average color Lorentz force a struck quark experiences in a deep inelastic electron scattering event off a neutron due to its interaction with the hadronizing remnants. This color force was determined from a linear combination of the third moments of the spin structure functions $g_1$ and $g_2$ on $^{3}$He after nuclear corrections had been applied to these moments. The kinematics included two average $Q^{2}$ bins of $3.2$ GeV$^{2}$ and $4.3$ GeV$^{2}$, and Bjorken-$x$ $0.25 leq x leq 0.90$ covering the DIS and resonance regions. We found $d_2^n$ to be small and negative for $<Q^{2}> = 3.2$ GeV$^{2}$, and smaller for $<Q^{2}> = 4.3$ GeV$^{2}$, consistent with a lattice QCD calculation. The twist-4 matrix element $f_{2}^{n}$ was extracted by combining our $d_{2}^{n}$ with the world data on $Gamma_{1}^{n} = int_{0}^{1} g_{1}^{n} dx$. We found $f_{2}^{n}$ to be roughly an order of magnitude larger than $d_{2}^{n}$. Utilizing the extracted $d_{2}^{n}$ and $f_{2}^{n}$ data, we separated the color force into its electric and magnetic components, $F_{E}^{y,n}$ and $F_{B}^{y,n}$, and found them to be equal and opposite in magnitude, in agreement with instanton model predictions but not with those from QCD sum rules. Additionally, we have extracted the neutron virtual photon-nucleon asymmetry $A_{1}^{n}$, the structure function ratio $g_{1}^{n}/F_{1}^{n}$, and the quark ratios $(Delta u + Delta bar{u})/(u + bar{u})$ and $(Delta d + Delta bar{d})/(d + bar{d})$. These results were found to be consistent with DIS world data and with the prediction of the constituent quark model but at odds with those of perturbative QCD at large $x$.
The clustering of nucleons in nuclei is a widespread but elusive phenomenon for study. Here, we wish to highlight the variety of theoretical approaches, and demonstrate how they are mutually supportive and complementary. On the experimental side, we describe recent advances in the study of the classic cluster nucleus 24Mg. Also, recent studies of clustering in nuclei approaching the neutron drip line are described. In the region near N/Z=2, both theory and experiment now suggest that multi-centre cluster structure is important, in particular for the very neutron rich beryllium isotopes.
A thick neutron skin emerges from the first determination of root mean square radii of the proton distributions for $^{17-22}$N from charge changing cross section measurements around 900$A$ MeV at GSI. Neutron halo effects are signaled for $^{22}$N from an increase in the proton and matter radii. The radii suggest an unconventional shell gap at $N$ = 14 arising from the attractive proton-neutron tensor interaction, in good agreement with shell model calculations. $Ab$ $initio$, in-medium similarity re-normalization group, calculations with a state-of-the-art chiral nucleon-nucleon and three-nucleon interaction reproduce well the data approaching the neutron drip-line isotopes but are challenged in explaining the complete isotopic trend of the radii.