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Direct Evidence of Octupole Deformation in Neutron-Rich Ba144

B. Bucher et al.
Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 112503 – Published 17 March 2016
Physics logo See Synopsis: Nucleus is Surprisingly Pear Shaped

Abstract

The neutron-rich nucleus Ba144 (t1/2=11.5s) is expected to exhibit some of the strongest octupole correlations among nuclei with mass numbers A less than 200. Until now, indirect evidence for such strong correlations has been inferred from observations such as enhanced E1 transitions and interleaving positive- and negative-parity levels in the ground-state band. In this experiment, the octupole strength was measured directly by sub-barrier, multistep Coulomb excitation of a post-accelerated 650-MeV Ba144 beam on a 1.0mg/cm2 Pb208 target. The measured value of the matrix element, 31M(E3)01+=0.65(+1723) eb3/2, corresponds to a reduced B(E3) transition probability of 48(+2534)W.u. This result represents an unambiguous determination of the octupole collectivity, is larger than any available theoretical prediction, and is consistent with octupole deformation.

  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Received 5 October 2015

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.112503

© 2016 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Nuclear Physics

Synopsis

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Nucleus is Surprisingly Pear Shaped

Published 17 March 2016

Experiments confirm that the barium-144 nucleus is pear shaped and hint that this asymmetry is more pronounced than previously thought.

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Vol. 116, Iss. 11 — 18 March 2016

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