Excited states in 52Fe have been determined up to spin 10hbar in the reaction 28Si + 28Si at 115 MeV by using gamma-ray spectroscopy methods at the GASP array. The excitation energy of the yrast 10+ state has been determined to be 7.381 MeV, almost 0.5 MeV above the well known beta+-decaying yrast 12+ state, definitely confirming the nature of its isomeric character. The mean lifetimes of the states have been measured by using the Doppler Shift Attenuation method. The experimental data are compared with spherical shell model calculations in the full pf-shell.
The structure of the nucleus 25F was investigated through in-beam {gamma}-ray spectroscopy of the fragmentation of 26Ne and 27,28Na ion beams. Based on the particle-{gamma} and particle-{gamma}{gamma} coincidence data, a level scheme was constructed and compared with shell model and coupled-cluster calculations. Some of the observed states were interpreted as quasi single-particle states built on top of the closed-shell nucleus 24O, while the others were described as states arising from coupling of a single proton to the 2+ core excitation of 24O.
A study of the 7Li(9Be,4He 10Be)2H reaction at E{beam}=70 MeV has been performed using resonant particle spectroscopy techniques and provides the first measurements of alpha-decaying states in 14C. Excited states are observed at 14.7, 15.5, 16.4, 18.5, 19.8, 20.6, 21.4, 22.4 and 24.0 MeV. The experimental technique was able to resolve decays to the various particle bound states in 10Be, and provides evidence for the preferential decay of the high energy excited states into states in 10Be at ~6 MeV. The decay processes are used to indicate the possible cluster structure of the 14C excited states.
The differential cross sections of the $^{12}$C($^3$He,t)$^{12}$N reaction leading to formation of the 1$^+$ (ground state), 2$^+$(0.96 MeV), 2$^{-}$(1.19 MeV), and 1$^{-}$(1.80 MeV) states of $^{12}$N are measured at $E$($^3$He)=40 MeV. The analysis of the data is carried out within the modified diffraction model (MDM) and distorted wave Born approximation (DWBA). Enhanced $rms$ radii were obtained for the ground, 2$^{-}$(1.19 MeV), and 1$^{-}$(1.80 MeV) states. We revealed that $^{12}$B, $^{12}$N, and $^{12}$C in the IAS with T=1, and spin-parities 2$^{-}$ and 1$^{-}$ have increased radii and exhibit properties of neutron and proton halo states.
We use an underground counting lab with an extremely low background to perform an activity measurement for the $^{12}$C+$^{13}$C system with energies down to $Erm_{c.m.}$=2.323 MeV, at which the $^{12}$C($^{13}$C,$p$)$^{24}$Na cross section is found to be 0.22(7) nb. The $^{12}$C+$^{13}$C fusion cross section is derived with a statistical model calibrated using experimental data. Our new result of the $^{12}$C+$^{13}$C fusion cross section is the first decisive evidence in the carbon isotope systems which rules out the existence of the astrophysical S-factor maximum predicted by the phenomenological hindrance model, while confirming the rising trend of the S-factor towards lower energies predicted by other models, such as CC-M3Y+Rep, DC-TDHF, KNS, SPP and ESW. After normalizing the model predictions with our data, a more reliable upper limit is established for the $^{12}$C+$^{12}$C fusion cross sections at stellar energies.
Excited states in $^{14}$O have been investigated both experimentally and theoretically. Experimentally, these states were produced via neutron-knockout reactions with a fast $^{15}$O beam and the invariant-mass technique was employed to isolate the 1$p$ and 2$p$ decay channels and determine their branching ratios. The spectrum of excited states was also calculated with the Shell Model Embedded in the Continuum that treats bound and scattering states in a unified model. By comparing energies, widths and decay branching patterns, spin and parity assignments for all experimentally observed levels below 8 MeV are made. This includes the location of the second 2$^{+}$ state that we find is in near degeneracy with the third 0$^{+}$ state. An interesting case of sequential 2$p$ decay through a pair of degenerate $^{13}$N excited states with opposite parities was found where the interference between the two sequential decay pathways produces an unusual relative-angle distribution between the emitted protons.