arXiv subjects

Y. Hirayama

Publications and source records attributed to Y. Hirayama.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

New Ground State in ${}^{149}$La Removes Two-Neutron-Separation-Energy Anomaly in Lanthanum Isotopes

Nuclear mass is a key indicator of how the nuclear shell structure evolves. The recent mass measurement study of neutron-rich lanthanum isotopes [A. Jaries, $et~al$., Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 134}, 042501(2025)] reveals the presence of a distinct prominence in their two-neutron separation energies. However, its presence has been called into question based on the results of another mass determination [B. Liu, Ph.D. thesis, University of Notre Dame (2025)]. In this letter, we report an effort to clarify these contradictory results through the use of the simultaneous mass-lifetime measurement of the neutron-rich lanthanum isotope ${}^{149}$La using a multi-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrograph combined with a $β$-TOF detector. The peak corresponding to a $β$-decaying state was observed in the time-of-flight spectra at a position of $221(6)~{\rm keV/c^2}$ lighter than the reported ${}^{149}$La mass in A. Jaries, $et~al$., but our measured result is in excellent agreement with the mass value reported in B. Liu. We have concluded that this peak is the ground state of ${}^{149}$La. With this, the previously reported distinct prominence in the two-neutron separation energies disappears, while a new kink structure, similar to that in the cerium isotopes, appears. Comparison with theoretical models suggests that a nuclear shape transition from octupole deformation to another type of deformation occurs around $N=91$ and is likely the cause of this kink structure.

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arXiv2026

High-Precision Mass Measurements of Proton-Rich Rh, Pd, Cd isotopes in the vicinity of 100Sn and Impact on X-Ray Burst and Supernova Nucleosynthesis

Using the ZeroDegree multi-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrograph of the CRISMASS project at RIKEN Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory, we performed high-precision mass measurements of proton-rich nuclei near the doubly magic nucleus 100Sn, achieving uncertainties on the order of 10 keV. The masses of 91Rh, 92Pd, and 96Cd were determined for the first time with high precision, and the accuracy of several additional masses was substantially improved. Incorporating the new data into X-ray burst simulations significantly reduces the abundance uncertainties in the $A$ = 90-100 region, shifting the reaction flow toward $A$ = 90 production and suppressing the synthesis of heavier nuclei. Further investigation of the $νp$-process indicates that 99Rh plays a significant role in the reaction flow within the mass region studied. These high-precision mass measurements refine the mass surface near 100Sn and provide critical constraints on models of proton-rich nucleosynthesis.

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arXiv2025

Precision mass measurements around ${}^{84}$Mo rule out ZrNb cycle formation in the rapid proton-capture process at type I X-ray bursts

The rapid proton-capture ($rp$-) process is one of the primary, explosive thermonuclear burning processes that drive type I X-ray bursts. A possible termination of the $rp$-process at around ${}^{84}$Mo was previously suggested by the formation of a ZrNb cycle. We report here precision mass measurements at around ${}^{84}$Mo, which have concluded the possibility of the cycle. The experiment was conducted using the multi-reflection time-of-flight spectrograph at RIKEN RI Beam Factory, and the masses of ${}^{79}$Y, ${}^{83}$Nb, ${}^{84}$Mo, ${}^{88}$Ru, and an isomer in ${}^{78}$Y were measured. For ${}^{84}$Mo, and ${}^{88}$Ru, and the isomeric state of ${}^{78}$Y, their masses are experimentally determined for the first time with uncertainties of $δm \approx 20~{\rm keV/c^2}$. The mass precision of ${}^{79}$Y and ${}^{83}$Nb is improved to $13~{\rm keV/c^2}$ and $9.6~{\rm keV/c^2}$, respectively. The new $α$-separation energy of ${}^{84}$Mo, 1.434(83) MeV, unambiguously rules out the possibility of forming the ZrNb cycle. The X-ray burst simulation with the new masses shows that our measurements effectively remove the large final abundance uncertainties in the $A=80-90$ mass region. The new mass values improve the prediction power for the composition of the nuclear ashes in X-ray bursts.

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arXiv2025

Direct observation of $β$ and $γ$ decay from a high-spin long-lived isomer in $^{187}$Ta

$^{187}$Ta ($Z=73$, $N=114$) is located in the neutron-rich $A \approx 190$ region where a prolate-to-oblate shape transition via triaxial softness is predicted to take place. A preceding work on the $K^π = (25/2^-)$ isomer and a rotational band to which the isomer decays carried out by the same collaboration revealed that axial symmetry is slightly violated in this nucleus. This paper focuses on a higher-lying isomer, which was previously identified at 2933(14) keV by mass measurements with the Experimental Storage Ring at GSI. The isomer of interest has been populated by a multi-nucleon transfer reaction with a $^{136}$Xe primary beam incident on a natural tungsten target, using the KEK Isotope Separation System at RIKEN. New experimental findings obtained in the present paper include the internal and external $β$-decay branches from the high-spin isomer and a revised half-life of 136(24) s. The evaluated hindrances for $K$-forbidden transitions put constraints on the spin-parity assignment, which can be interpreted as being ascribed to a prolate shape with a five-quasiparticle configuration by model calculations.

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arXiv2024

Spin dynamics of a quasi-one-dimensional electron in the quantum limit

We study electron spin dynamics whose movement is restricted to the lowest one dimensional subband channel ($G \le 2e^2/h $), through nuclear spin relaxation rate measurement ($1/T_1$). We observe an unusual double-peak structure in the $1/T_1$ profile below the lowest subband level, where the up and down spin edge channel is still largely overlap. This profile significantly deviates from the behavior predicted by a non-interacting electron model, in which the only source of relaxation is through thermal fluctuations near the Fermi level. Our experimental results, supported by theoretical calculations, suggest that enhanced electron-electron interactions at the center of a quantum point contact are the likely origin of the observed double-peak structures.

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arXiv2024

Measurement of muon flux behind the beam dump of the J-PARC Hadron Experimental Facility

A muon-flux measurement behind the beam dump of the J-PARC Hadron Experimental Facility was performed with a compact muon detector that can be inserted into a vertical observing hole with 81 mm in diameter which was dug underground. The detector consists of 12 plastic scintillation strips with a length of 80 mm each, which are arranged with cylindrical shape and contained inside an aluminum housing with an outer diameter of 75 mm. A silicon photomultiplier is coupled to the end of each strip to collect the scintillating light. The flux of the muons penetrating the beam dump was scanned vertically at intervals of 0.5 m, showing a wide distribution with a maximum at the beam level. The muon flux was consistent with the expectation from a Monte-Carlo simulation at more than 1 m away from the beam axis, which is expected to be used for signal-loss evaluation in the future KOTO II experiment for measuring rare kaon decays. The data can also be used in improving the accuracy of shielding calculations in the radiation protection.

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arXiv2024

First Exploration of Monopole-Driven Shell Evolution above the N = 126 shell closure: new Millisecond Isomers in 213Tl and 215Tl

Isomer spectroscopy of heavy neutron-rich nuclei beyond the N=126 closed shell has been performed for the first time at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory of the RIKEN Nishina Center. New millisecond isomers have been identified at low excitation energies, 985.3(19) keV in 213Tl and 874(5) keV in 215Tl. The measured half-lives of 1.34(5) ms in 213Tl and 3.0(3) ms in 215Tl suggest spins and parities 11/2- with the single proton-hole configuration h11/2 as leading component. They are populated via E1 transitions by the decay of higher-lying isomeric states with proposed spin and parity 17/2+, interpreted as arising from a single s1/2 proton hole coupled to the 8+ seniority isomer in the (A+1)Pb cores. The lowering of the 11/2- states is ascribed to an increase of the h11/2 proton effective single-particle energy as the second g9/2 orbital is filled by neutrons, owing to a significant reduction of the proton-neutron monopole interaction between the h11/2 and g9/2 orbitals. The new ms-isomers provide the first experimental observation of shell evolution in the almost unexplored N>126 nuclear region below doubly-magic 208Pb.

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arXiv2023

Particle Identification at VAMOS++ with Machine Learning Techniques

Multi-nucleon transfer reaction between 136Xe beam and 198Pt target was performed using the VAMOS++ spectrometer at GANIL to study the structure of n-rich nuclei around N=126. Unambiguous charge state identification was obtained by combining two supervised machine learning methods, deep neural network (DNN) and positional correction using a gradient-boosting decision tree (GBDT). The new method reduced the complexity of the kinetic energy calibration and outperformed the conventional method, improving the charge state resolution by 8%

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arXiv2023

Synthesizing $2h/e^2$ resistance plateau at the first Landau level confined in a quantum point contact

A comprehensive understanding of quantum Hall edge transmission, especially the hole-conjugate of a Laughlin state such as a $2/3$ state, is critical for advancing fundamental quantum Hall physics and enhancing the design of quantum Hall edge interferometry. In this study, we report a robust intermediate $2h/e^2$ resistance quantization in a quantum point contact (QPC) when the bulk is set at the fractional filling $2/3$ quantum Hall state. Our results suggest the occurrence of two equilibration processes. First, the co-propagating $1/3$ edges moving along a soft QPC arm confining potential fully equilibrate and act as a single $2/3$ edge mode. Second, the $2/3$ edge mode is further equilibrated with an integer $1$ edge mode formed in the QPC. The complete mixing between them results in a diagonal resistance value quantized at $2h/e^2$. Similar processes occur for a bulk filling $5/3$, leading to an intermediate $(2/3)h/e^2$ resistance quantization.

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arXiv2022

A new study of the $N=32$ and $N=34$ shell gap for Ti and V by the first high-precision MRTOF mass measurements at BigRIPS-SLOWRI

The atomic masses of $^{55}$Sc, $^{56,58}$Ti, and $^{56-59}$V have been determined using the high-precision multi-reflection time-of-flight technique. The radioisotopes have been produced at RIKEN's RIBF facility and delivered to the novel designed gas cell and multi-reflection system (ZD MRTOF), which has been recently commissioned downstream of the ZeroDegree spectrometer following the BigRIPS separator. For $^{56,58}$Ti and $^{56-59}$V the mass uncertainties have been reduced down to the order of $10\,\mathrm{keV}$, shedding new light on the $N=34$ shell effect in Ti and V isotopes by the first high-precision mass measurements of the critical species $^{58}$Ti and $^{59}$V. With the new precision achieved, we reveal the non-existence of the $N=34$ empirical two-neutron shell gaps for Ti and V, and the enhanced energy gap above the occupied $νp_{3/2}$ orbit is identified as a feature unique to Ca. We perform new Monte Carlo shell model calculations including the $νd_{5/2}$ and $νg_{9/2}$ orbits and compare the results with conventional shell model calculations, which exclude the $νg_{9/2}$ and the $νd_{5/2}$ orbits. The comparison indicates that the shell gap reduction in Ti is related to a partial occupation of the higher orbitals for the outer two valence neutrons at $N=34$.

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arXiv2022

The new MRTOF mass spectrograph following the ZeroDegree spectrometer at RIKEN's RIBF facility

A newly assembled multi-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrograph (MRTOF-MS) at RIKEN's RIBF facility became operational for the first time in spring 2020; further modifications and performance tests using stable ions were completed in early 2021. By using a pulsed-drift-tube technique to modify the ions' kinetic energy in a wide range, we directly characterize the dispersion function of the system for use in a new procedure for optimizing the voltages applied to the electrostatic mirrors. Thus far, a mass resolving power of $R_m > 1\,000\,000$ is reached within a total time-of-flight of only $12.5\,\mathrm{ms}$, making the spectrometer capable of studying short-lived nuclei possessing low-lying isomers. Detailed information about the setup and measurement procedure is reported, and an alternative in-MRTOF ion selection scheme to remove molecular contaminants in the absence of a dedicated deflection device is introduced. The setup underwent an initial on-line commissioning at the BigRIPS facility at the end of 2020, where more than 70 nuclear masses have been measured. A summary of the commissioning experiments and results from a test of mass accuracy will be presented.

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arXiv2021

Resistively-detected NMR lineshapes in a local filling $ν< 1$ quantum Hall breakdown

Resistively-detected NMR (RDNMR) is a unique characterization method enabling highly-sensitive NMR detection for a single quantum nanostructure, such as a quantum point contact (QPC). In many studies, we use dynamic nuclear polarization and RDNMR detection in a quantum Hall breakdown regime of a local QPC filling factor of 1 ($ν_{\rm{qpc}} = 1$). However, the lineshapes of RDNMR signal are proved to be complicated and still not fully understood yet. Here, we systematically polarize the nuclear spins by current-pumping from the close vicinity of $ν_{\rm{qpc}} = 1$ conductance plateau all the way down to pinch-off point, providing a clear evidence that the spin-flip scattering between two edge channels at the lowest Landau level still occurs in the constriction even when it is close to the pinch off point ($G \approx 10^{-2}$ $2e^{2}/h$). The collected RDNMR spectra reveal two sets of distinguished features. First, in a strong to intermediate tunneling regime, we observe an ordinary resistance dip lineshape but interestingly its transition frequency follows a snake-like pattern, an indicative of spatial modulation of electron density in the QPC. Second, in a weak tunneling regime, the spectrum turns into a dispersive lineshape which we interpret due to the build up of two sets of nuclear spin polarization that are in contact with different electron spin polarization.

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arXiv2021

Alpha-decay-correlated mass measurement of 206,207Ra using an $α$-TOF detector equipped MRTOF-MS system

The atomic masses of the isotopes $^{206,207}$Ra have been measured via decay-correlated mass spectroscopy using a multi-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrograph equipped with an $α$-TOF detector. The Ra isotopes were produced as fusion-evaporation products in the $^{51}$V+$^{159}$Tb reaction system and delivered by the gas-filled recoil ion separator GARIS-II at RIKEN. The $α$-TOF detector provides for high-accuracy mass measurements by correlating time-of-flight signals with subsequent $α$-decay events. The masses of $^{206}$Ra and $^{207g,m}$Ra were directly measured using a multi-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrograph equipped with an $α$-TOF detector. A mass excess of ME = 3538(15) keV/c$^2$ and an excitation energy of E$_{\rm ex}$ = 552(42) keV were determined. The $α$-decay branching ratio of $^{207m}$Ra, b$α$ = 0.26(20), was directly determined from decay-correlated time-of-flight signals, and the reduced alpha width of $^{207m}$Ra was calculated to be $δ^2$ = 50+62-41 keV from the branching ratio. The spin-parity of $^{207m}$Ra was confirmed to be $J^π$ = 13/2$^-$ from decay correlated mass measurement results.

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arXiv2021

Hyperfine-mediated transport in a one-dimensional channel

We survey some recent accumulated body of works on hyperfine-mediated transport in a confined one-dimensional channel, realized typically by electrostatic gating. Our review begins with how the spin-polarized edge current can be used as a means to dynamically generate and detect an ensemble of nuclear spins in the channel. We show how the transmission of spin-polarized edge in the presence of nuclear polarization could provide a convenient way to explain various NMR lineshapes observed in experiments. We discuss recent attempt to electrically detecting NMR at moderate to low magnetic fields that would particularly be helpful to address some fundamental physics problems in quantum transport such as the microscopic nature of fractional conductance developed below the last integer plateau. For a more applied-oriented, the developed NMR can be turned to probe an ultra-low level strain modulation in the channel owing to differential thermal contraction between metal gates and a semiconductor via nuclear quadrupole interaction.

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arXiv2021

First direct observation of isomeric decay in neutron-rich odd-odd $^{186}$Ta

De-excitation $γ$ rays associated with an isomeric state of $^{186}$Ta were investigated. The isomers were produced in multinucleon transfer reactions between a $^{136}$Xe beam and a natural W target, and were collected and separated by the KEK Isotope Separation System. Two $γ$ transitions with energies of 161.1(2) and 186.8(1) keV associated with an isomeric decay were observed for the first time. The half-life of the isomeric state of the neutral atom $^{186 \rm m}$Ta was deduced as 17(2) s. Based on the comparison with the previous measurements of the isomeric state using the ESR storage ring at GSI Darmstadt and the coupling of angular momenta of individual particle orbitals in odd-odd nuclei, a decay scheme of $^{186 \rm m}$Ta was proposed.

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arXiv2021

Large Zeeman Splitting in Out-of-Plane Magnetic Field in a Double-Layer Quantum Point Contact

In this study, we observe that the conductance of a quantum point contact on a GaAs/AlGaAs double quantum well depends significantly on the magnetic field perpendicular to the two-dimensional electron gas. In the presence of the magnetic field, the subband edge splitting due to the Zeeman energy reaches 0.09 meV at 0.16 T, thereby suggesting an enhanced g-factor. The estimated g-factor enhancement is 17.5 times that of the bare value. It is considered that a low electron density and high mobility makes it possible to reach a strong many-body interaction regime in which this type of strong enhancement in g-factor can be observed.

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arXiv2021

Double Nuclear Spin Relaxation in Hybrid Quantum Hall Systems

Recent advances in quantum engineering have given us the ability to design hybrid systems with novel properties normally not present in the regime they operate in. The coupling of spin ensembles and magnons to microwave resonators has for instance lead to a much richer understanding of collective effects in these systems and their potential quantum applications. We can also hybridize electron and nuclear spin ensembles together in the solid-state regime to investigate collective effects normally only observed in the atomic, molecular and optical world. Here we explore in the solid state regime the dynamics of a double domain nuclear spin ensemble coupled to the Nambu-Goldstone boson in GaAs semiconductors and show it exhibits both collective and individual relaxation (thermalization) on very different time scales. Further the collective relaxation of the nuclear spin ensemble is what one would expect from superradiant decay. This opens up the possibility for the exploration of novel collective behaviour in solid state systems where the natural energies associated with those spins are much less than the thermal energy.

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arXiv2020

Properties of 187Ta revealed through isomeric decay

Mass-separated 187Ta in a high-spin isomeric state has been produced for the first time by multi-nucleon transfer reactions, employing an argon gas stopping cell and laser ionisation. Internal gamma rays revealed a 7.3 s isomer at 1778 keV, which decays through a rotational band with perturbations associated with the approach to a prolate-oblate shape transition. Model calculations show less influence from triaxiality compared to heavier elements in the same mass region. The isomer decay reduced E2 hindrance factor of 27 supports the interpretation that axial symmetry is approximately conserved.

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