The Limits to K-Isomers

The Limits to K-Isomers






- Gives us access to a Quantum system.

- Provides information about:

  • K­Selection Rule
  • Shape tunnelling
  • Tilted Rotation
  • Residual Interactions
  • Quenching of Pairing correlations


­ Classic Probes of interplay of collective & single­particle motion.

Up to 8 quasi­particle isomers have been observed

Here there are 8 nucleons aligned along
nuclear deformation axis

and nucleus still manages to sustain
rotations about a perpendicular axis.


­ As always this is where we learn the physics!

­ Is K a good Quantum Number

(A) When I is large?

­ angular momentum limit to K ?

(B) When N is large?

­neutron­rich mass limit to K ?


178W highest seniority Isomer

- 8 quasi­particle 200 ns isomer

­ signature for rotation is collective band built upon isomer.

­ signature for good K is a well defined or long­lived isomer...

­ as K and I increase, isomers become more yrast and longer lived!


­ have hints of a new band / isomer at higher I, K...


­ heavy mass neutron rich nuclei in mass 180 region predicted to have many very long lived isomers...

­ We have 178Hf and 180Ta

­ so where are the rest ?


­ So we see problem is in making these isomers at high­spin.

­ fusion evaporation reactions can't get us there...


­ used 1.6 GeV pulsed 238U beam

­ on most neutron­rich Pb backed targets...

­ 186W, 176Yb, 181Ta, 175Lu

­ 12 Ge detectors, 50 element BGO ball

­ only record data in dark period between beam pulses...

­ ANL has excellent beam timing

­ very successful experiment!

­ many new 2 quasi­particle isomers

­ in particular found 4 quasi-particle isomer in 186W

­ have found new technique to give partial access to this region.

­ Theory appears to be correct that the heavy n­rich isotopes still have good K­quantum numbers !



D.M. Cullen,
A.T. Reed,
D.E.Appelbe,
S.L.King,

The University of Liverpool

P.M.Walker,
C. Wheldon,
C. Purry,
C. Pearson,
P.H. Regan,

The University of Surrey

G.D. Dracoulis,
Australian National University at Canberra

P. Chowdhury,
R. D'Alarcao,
E. Seabury

Location?

I. Ahmad,
M.P. Carpenter,
R.V.F. Janssens,
T.L. Khoo,
G. Hackman,
P. Reiter
D. Nissius

Argonne National Laboratory


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Last modified: 23 February 1998

Written by Dave Cullen, dmc@ns.ph.liv.ac.uk