arXiv subjects

J. P. Schiffer

Publications and source records attributed to J. P. Schiffer.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2021

Single-Nucleon Energies Changing with Nucleon Number

The broad range of accumulated experimental data on the binding energies for single-particle states in nuclei is examined as a function of the constituent number of neutrons and protons and an unexpectedly simple pattern emerges. The dependence of the energies of neutron states on the number of constituent protons, or of proton states on the number of neutrons, are very similar to each other and the sign reflects the well-known strong attraction. For the same kind of nucleons changing as in the state -- energies for neutron states with neutron number changing or proton states with protons -- the dependence is at least a factor of four weaker in magnitude and slightly repulsive, except when the changing nucleons are only within the same orbit as the state. The systematics of the accumulated data are presented with a minimum of use made of model assumptions.

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arXiv2021

Neutron occupancies and single-particle energies across the stable tin isotopes

The occupancies and vacancies of the valence neutron orbitals across the stable tin isotopic chain from $112\leq A\leq 124$ have been determined. These were inferred from the cross sections of neutron-adding and -removing reactions. In each case, the reactions were chosen to have good angular-momentum matching for transfer to the low- and high-$\ell$ orbitals present in this valence space. These new data are compared to older systematic studies. The effective single-neutron energies are determined by combining information from energy centroids determined from the adding and removing reactions. Two of the five orbitals are nearly degenerate, below $N=64$, and approximately two MeV more bound than the other three, which are also degenerate.

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arXiv2020

Consistency of nucleon-transfer sum rules in well-deformed nuclei

Nucleon-transfer sum rules have been assessed via a consistent reanalysis of cross-section data from neutron-adding ($d$,$p$) and -removing ($d$,$t$) reactions on well-deformed isotopes of Gd, Dy, Er, Yb, and W, with $92\leq N\leq108$, studied at the Niels Bohr Institute in the 1960s and 1970s. These are complemented by new measurements of cross sections using the ($d$,$p$), ($d$,$t$), and ($p$,$d$) reactions on a subset of these nuclei. The sum rules, defined in a Nilsson-model framework, are remarkably consistent. A single overall normalization is used in the analysis, which appears to be sensitive to assumptions about the reaction mechanism, and in the case of sums using the ($d$,$t$) reaction, differs from values determined from reactions on spherical systems.

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arXiv2020

Neutron-hole strength in N = 81 nuclei

A systematic study of neutron-hole strength in the N = 81 nuclei 137Ba, 139Ce, 141Nd and 143Sm is reported. The single-neutron removal reactions (p,d) and (3He,4He) were measured at energies of 23 and 34 MeV, respectively. Spectroscopic factors were extracted from measured cross sections through a distorted-wave Born approximation analysis and centroids of single-particle strength have been established. The change in these centroid energies as a function of proton number have been compared to calculations of the monopole shift for the s1/2 and h11/2 orbitals, where the majority of the strength has been observed. Significant fragmentation of strength was observed for the d and g7/2 orbitals, particularly for the latter orbital which is deeply bound, with summed strengths that indicate a significant amount lies outside of the measured excitation energy range.

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arXiv2020

First Exploration of Neutron Shell Structure Below Lead and Beyond $\boldsymbol{N=126}$

The nuclei below lead but with more than 126 neutrons are crucial to an understanding of the astrophysical $r$-process in producing nuclei heavier than $A\sim190$. Despite their importance, the structure and properties of these nuclei remain experimentally untested as they are difficult to produce in nuclear reactions with stable beams. In a first exploration of the shell structure of this region, neutron excitations in $^{207}$Hg have been probed using the neutron-adding ($d$,$p$) reaction in inverse kinematics. The radioactive beam of $^{206}$Hg was delivered to the new ISOLDE Solenoidal Spectrometer at an energy above the Coulomb barrier. The spectroscopy of $^{207}$Hg marks a first step in improving our understanding of the relevant structural properties of nuclei involved in a key part of the path of the $r$-process.

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arXiv2018

Probing the single-particle character of rotational states in $^{19}$F using a short-lived isomeric beam

A beam containing a substantial component of both the $J^π=5^+$, $T_{1/2}=162$ ns isomeric state of $^{18}$F and its $1^+$, 109.77-min ground state has been utilized to study members of the ground-state rotational band in $^{19}$F through the neutron transfer reaction $(d$,$p)$ in inverse kinematics. The resulting spectroscopic strengths confirm the single-particle nature of the 13/2$^+$ band-terminating state. The agreement between shell-model calculations, using an interaction constructed within the $sd$ shell, and our experimental results reinforces the idea of a single-particle/collective duality in the descriptions of the structure of atomic nuclei.

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arXiv2017

An experimental study of the rearrangements of valence protons and neutrons amongst single-particle orbits during double β decay in 100Mo

The rearrangements of protons and neutrons amongst the valence single-particle orbitals during double β decay of 100Mo have been determined by measuring cross sections in (d,p), (p,d), (3He,α) and (3He,d) reactions on 98,100Mo and 100,102Ru targets. The deduced nucleon occupancies reveal significant discrepancies when compared with theoretical calculations; the same calculations have previously been used to determine the nuclear matrix element associated with the decay probability of double β decay of the 100Mo system.

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arXiv2017

High-$j$ neutron excitations outside $^{136}$Xe

The $\nu0h_{9/2}$ and $\nu0i_{13/2}$ strength at $^{137}$Xe, a single neutron outside the $N=82$ shell closure, has been determined using the $^{136}$Xe($α$,$^3$He)$^{137}$Xe reaction carried out at 100 MeV. We confirm the recent observation of the second 13/2$^+$ state and reassess previous data on the 9/2$^-$ states, obtaining spectroscopic factors. These new data provide additional constraints on predictions of the same single-neutron excitations at $^{133}$Sn.

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arXiv2016

Rearrangement of valence neutrons in the neutrinoless double-$β$ decay of $^{136}$Xe

A quantitative description of the change in ground-state neutron occupancies between $^{136}$Xe and $^{136}$Ba, the initial and final state in the neutrinoless double-$β$ decay of $^{136}$Xe, has been extracted from precision measurements of the cross sections of single-neutron adding and -removing reactions. Comparisons are made to recent theoretical calculations of the same properties using various nuclear-structure models. These are the same calculations used to determine the magnitude of the nuclear matrix elements for the process, which at present disagree with each other by factors of 2 or 3. The experimental neutron occupancies show some disagreement with the theoretical calculations.

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arXiv2016

Ordering of the $0d_{5/2}$ and $1s_{1/2}$ proton levels in light nuclei

A survey of the available single-proton data in $A\leq17$ nuclei, along with calculations using a Woods-Saxon potential, show that the ordering of the $0d_{5/2}$ and $1s_{1/2}$ proton orbitals are determined primarily by the proximity of the $s$-state proton energy to the Coulomb barrier. This is analogous to the dependence of the corresponding neutron orbitals in proximity to the neutron threshold, that was previously discussed.

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arXiv2016

Change of nuclear configurations in the neutrinoless double-$β$ decay of $^{130}$Te $\rightarrow$ $^{130}$Xe and $^{136}$Xe $\rightarrow$ $^{136}$Ba

The change in the configuration of valence protons between the initial and final states in the neutrinoless double-$β$ decay of $^{130}$Te $\rightarrow$ $^{130}$Xe and of $^{136}$Xe $\rightarrow$ $^{136}$Ba has been determined by measuring the cross sections of the ($d$,$^3$He) reaction with 101-MeV deuterons. Together with our recent determination of the relevant neutron configurations involved in the process, a quantitative comparison with the latest shell-model and interacting-boson-model calculations reveals significant discrepancies. These are the same calculations used to determine the nuclear matrix elements governing the rate of neutrinoless double-$β$ decay in these systems.

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arXiv2014

Neutral $s$ States in Loosely Bound Nuclei

In reviewing the data that has accumulated in light nuclei we find that the binding energy plays a critical role in describing the variation in energy of $s$ states relative to other states. The behavior of states with zero angular momentum within a few MeV of threshold is qualitatively different from that of neutron states with any other $\ell$ value or of any proton state. This observation is explored for simple Woods-Saxon potentials and is remarkably successful in describing a wealth of experimental data for nuclei with neutron numbers between 5 and 10. The lingering of neutron $s$ states just below threshold is associated with the increases in radii of the neutron density distributions, the neutron halos, and leads to speculations about possible halos in heavier nuclei.

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arXiv2013

Quenching of Cross Sections in Nucleon Transfer Reactions

Cross sections for proton knockout observed in (e,e'p) reactions are apparently quenched by a factor of ~0.5, an effect attributed to short-range correlations between nucleons. Here we demonstrate that such quenching is not restricted to proton knockout, but a more general phenomenon associated with any nucleon transfer. Measurements of absolute cross sections on a number of targets between 16O and 208Pb were analyzed in a consistent way, with the cross sections reduced to spectroscopic factors through the distorted-wave Born approximation with global optical potentials. Across the 124 cases analyzed here, induced by various proton- and neutron-transfer reactions and with angular momentum transfer l=0-7, the results are consistent with a quenching factor of 0.55. This is an apparently uniform quenching of single-particle motion in the nuclear medium. The effect is seen not only in (d,p) reactions but also in reactions with A=3 and 4 projectiles, when realistic wave functions are used for the projectiles.

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arXiv2012

Neutron pair correlations in A=100 nuclei involved in neutrinoless double-$β$ decay

The pairing properties of the neutrinoless double beta decay $(0\nu2β)$ candidate $^{100}$Mo have been studied, along with its daughter $^{100}$Ru, to provide input for nuclear matrix element calculations relevant to the decay. The $(p,t)$ two-neutron transfer reaction was measured on nuclei of $^{102,100}$Ru and $^{100,98}$Mo. The experiment was designed to have particular sensitivity to $0^{+}$ states up to excitation energies of $\sim 3$ MeV with high energy resolution. Measurements were made at two angles and L=0 transitions identified by the ratio of yields between the two angles. For the reactions leading to and from $^{100}$Ru, greater than 95% of the L=0 $(p,t)$ strength was in the ground state, but in $^{100}$Mo about 20% was in excited $0^{+}$ states. The measured $(p,t)$ data, together with existing $(t,p)$ data, suggest that $^{100}$Mo is a shape-transitional nucleus while $^{100}$Ru is closer to the spherical side of that transition. Theoretical calculations of the $0\nu2β$ nuclear matrix element may be complicated by this difference in shape.

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arXiv2012

Constraining the 0ν2β matrix elements by nuclear structure observables

The discovery that neutrinos have finite rest mass has led to renewed interest in neutrinoless double beta decay. The development of large-scale experiments to search for neutrinoless double beta decay has increased the probability of a credible observation of the process in the near future. The reliability of calculations of the associated nuclear matrix elements is likely soon to become a critical issue. In this paper experimental techniques that access properties of the ground-state wave functions of double beta decay candidates, the occupancies of valence single- particle orbitals and pairing correlations, are summarized and the experimental data for candidate nuclei are reviewed. The results are discussed in relation to questions concerning which aspects of nuclear structure may play an important role in determining the nuclear matrix elements for neutrinoless double beta decay.

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arXiv2008

Nuclear Structure Relevant to Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay: the Valence Protons in 76Ge and 76Se

The possibility of observing neutrinoless double beta decay offers the opportunity of determining the effective neutrino mass if the nuclear matrix element were known. Theoretical calculations are uncertain and the occupations of valence orbits by nucleons active in the decay are likely to be important. The occupation of valence proton orbits in the ground states of 76Ge, a candidate for such decay, and 76Se, the corresponding daughter nucleus, were determined by precisely measuring cross sections for proton-removing transfer reactions. As in previous work on neutron occupations, we find that the Fermi surface for protons is much more diffuse than previously thought, and the occupancies of at least three orbits change significantly between the two 0+ ground states.

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arXiv2007

Nuclear Structure Relevant to Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay: 76Ge and 76Se

The possibility of observing neutrinoless double beta decay offers the opportunity of determining the neutrino mass IF the nuclear matrix element were known. Theoretical calculations are uncertain and measurements of the occupations of valence orbits by nucleons active in the decay can be important. The occupation of valence neutron orbits in the ground states of 76Ge and 76Se were determined by precisely measuring cross sections for both neutron-adding and removing transfer reactions. Our results indicate that the Fermi surface is much more diffuse than in theoretical (QRPA) calculations. We find that the populations of at least three orbits change significantly between these two ground states while in the calculations the changes are confined primarily to one orbit.

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arXiv2007

High-j single-particle neutron states outside the N=82 core

The behaviour of the i13/2 and h9/2 single-neutron strength was studied with the (4He,3He) reaction on 138Ba, 140Ce, 142Nd and 144Sm targets at a beam energy of 51 MeV. The separation between the single-neutron states i13/2 and h9/2 was measured in N =83 nuclei with changing proton number. To this end spectroscopic factors for states populated in high-l transfer were extracted from the data. Some mixing of l=5 and 6 strength was observed with states that are formed by coupling the f7/2 state to the 2+ and 3- vibrational states and the mixing matrix elements were found to be remarkably constant. The centroids of the strength indicate a systematic change in the energies of the i13/2 and h9/2 single-neutron states with increasing proton number that is in quantitative agreement with the effects expected from the tensor interaction.

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