Elsevier

Physics Letters B

Volume 696, Issue 3, 31 January 2011, Pages 186-190
Physics Letters B

Low-lying level structure of the neutron-rich nucleus 109Nb: A possible oblate-shape isomer

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2010.12.028Get rights and content

Abstract

The neutron-rich nuclei 109Nb and 109Zr have been populated using in-flight fission of a 238U beam at 345 MeV/nucleon at the RIBF facility. A T1/2=150(30)ns isomer at 313 keV has been identified in 109Nb for the first time. The low-lying levels in 109Nb have been also populated following the β-decay of 109Zr. Based on the difference in feeding pattern between the isomeric and β decays, the decay scheme from the isomeric state in 109Nb was established. The observed hindrances of the electromagnetic transitions deexciting the isomeric state are discussed in terms of possible shape coexistence. Potential energy surface calculations for single-proton configurations predict the presence of low-lying oblate-deformed states in 109Nb.

Section snippets

Acknowledgements

We are indebted to the staff members of RIKEN Nishina Center for providing the uranium beams and to the BigRIPS team for tuning the secondary beams. H.W. thanks Professor I. Hamamoto for valuable discussions. This work was supported by the KAKENHI (Grant Nos. 19340074 and 50126124), the RIKEN President's Fund (2005), UK STFC and AWE plc., the DFG Cluster of Excellence Origin and Structure of the Universe and under DFG grant KR 2326/2.

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