The fusion-evaporation reaction Si28+Ca40 at 122 MeV beam energy was used to populate excited states in the N=Z+1 nucleus Ga63. With the combination of the Gammasphere spectrometer and the Microball CsI(Tl) charged-particle detector array, the level scheme of Ga63 was extended by more than a factor of two in terms of number of γ-ray transitions and excited states, excitation energy (Ex>30MeV), and angular momentum (I>30ℏ). Nine regular sequences of states were newly established in the high-spin part of the level scheme. The majority of these rotational band structures could be connected to the previously known part of the level scheme by high-energy γ-ray transitions in the energy range Eγ=4-6MeV. Low-spin states were assessed by shell-model calculations. The high-spin rotational bands were interpreted and classified by means of cranked Nilsson-Strutinsky calculations.

The fusion-evaporation reaction Si28+Ca40 at 122 MeV beam energy was used to populate high-spin states in the odd-odd N=Z nucleus Ga62. With the combination of the Gammasphere spectrometer and the Microball CsI(Tl) charged-particle detector array the decay scheme of Ga62 was extended beyond 10 MeV excitation energy. The onset of band structures was observed. These high-spin rotational states are interpreted and classified by means of cranked Nilsson-Strutinsky calculations.

Prompt, in-beam γ rays following the reaction Yb170 + 142 MeV Si28 were measured at the ATLAS facility using 10 Compton-suppressed Ge detectors and the Fragment Mass Analyzer. Transitions in Po194 were identified and placed using γ-ray singles and coincidence data gated on the mass of the evaporation residues. A level spectrum up to J10 was established. The structure of Po194 is more collective than that observed in the heavier polonium isotopes and indicates that the structure has started to evolve toward the more collective nature expected for deformed nuclei. © 1995 The American Physical Society.

The energy levels and γ-ray decay scheme of the positive-parity states in the Tz=12 nucleus As67 have been studied by using the Ca40(Ar36,2αp)As67 reaction at a beam energy of 145 MeV. Two new band structures have been identified which can be connected to the previously known levels. The results for these bands are compared with configuration-dependent cranked Nilsson-Strutinsky calculations. The good level of agreement between theory and experiment suggests that these structures can be interpreted in terms of configurations that involve three g92 particles and that both possess noncollective terminating states.

The β-decay and isomeric properties of 54Sc, 50K and 53Ca are presented, and their implications with respect to the goodness of the N = 32 sub-shell closure discussed.

The Si31 nucleus was produced through the O18(O18, αn) fusion-evaporation reaction at Elab=24MeV. Evaporated α particles from the reaction were detected and identified in the Microball detector array for channel selection. Multiple γ-ray coincidence events were detected in Gammasphere. The energy and angle information for the α particles was used to determine the Si31 recoil kinematics on an event-by-event basis for a more accurate Doppler correction. A total of 22 new states and 52 new γ transitions were observed, including 14 from states above the neutron separation energy. The positive-parity states predicted by the shell-model calculations in the sd model space agree well with experiment. The negative-parity states were compared with shell-model calculations in the psdpf model space with some variations in the N=20 shell gap. The best agreement was found with a shell gap intermediate between that originally used for A≈20 nuclei and that previously adapted for P32,34. This variation suggests the need for a more universal cross-shell interaction.

A high-spin isomer with τ>700 ns has been found in Hg204, populated in reactions of 1360-MeV Pb208 and 330-MeV Ca48 beams with a thick U238 target and a 1450-MeV Pb208 beam on a thick Pb208 target. The observed γ-ray decay of the isomer has established the yrast states below it, including another isomer with τ=33(3) ns. The experimental results are compared with shell-model calculations that include four holes in the configuration space between Sn132 and Pb208. The available spectroscopic information, including transition strengths, total conversion, and angular correlation coefficients, together with the observed agreement with the calculations, allows spin, parity, and configuration assignments to be proposed for the experimental states. The τ>700 ns isomer is the 22+ state of maximum spin available from the alignment of the four valence holes with the configuration πh11/2-2νi13/2-2.

High-spin states in Xe124 have been populated using the Se80(Ca48,4n) reaction at a beam energy of 207 MeV and high-multiplicity, γ-ray coincidence events were measured using the Gammasphere spectrometer. Six high-spin bands with large moments of inertia, similar to those observed in neighboring nuclei, have been observed. The experimental results are compared with calculations within the framework of the cranked Nilsson-Strutinsky model. It is suggested that the configurations of the bands involve excitations of protons across the Z=50 shell gap coupled to neutrons within the N=50-82 shell or excited across the N=82 shell closure.

The calcium isotopes have emerged as an important testing ground for new microscopically derived shell-model interactions, and a great deal of focus has been directed toward this region. We investigate the relative spectroscopic strengths associated with $1f_{7/2}$ neutron hole states in $^{47, 49}$Ca following one-neutron knockout reactions from $^{48,50}$Ca. The observed reduction of strength populating the lowest 7/2$^{-}_{1}$ state in $^{49}$Ca, as compared to $^{47}$Ca, is consistent with the description given by shell-model calculations based on two- and three-nucleon forces in the neutron $pf$ model space, implying a fragmentation of the $l$=3 strength to higher-lying states. The experimental result is inconsistent with both the GXPF1 interaction routinely used in this region of the nuclear chart and with microscopic calculations in an extended model space including the $ u1g_{9/2}$ orbital.

In recent models, the neutron-rich Ni isotopes around N=40 are predicted to exhibit multiple low-energy excited 0+ states attributed to neutron and proton excitations across both the N=40 and Z=28 shell gaps. In Ni68, the three observed 0+ states have been interpreted in terms of triple shape coexistence between spherical, oblate, and prolate deformed shapes. In the present work a new (02+) state at an energy of 1567 keV has been discovered in Ni70 by using β-delayed, γ-ray spectroscopy following the decay of Co70. The precipitous drop in the energy of the prolate-deformed 0+ level between Ni68 and Ni70 with the addition of two neutrons compares favorably with results of Monte Carlo shell-model calculations carried out in the large fpg9/2d5/2 model space, which predict a 02+ state at 1525 keV in Ni70. The result extends the shape-coexistence picture in the region to Ni70 and confirms the importance of the role of the tensor component of the monopole interaction in describing the structure of neutron-rich nuclei.