β-Decay properties of neutron-rich yttrium isotopes

Abstract

In this study, we have reported key nuclear properties of weak β-decay processes on Yttrium isotopes for the mass number range A = 101 − 108. This mass region has importance while dealing with astrophysical r-process abundances. Our study might be helpful in r-process simulations. We have computed charge-changing strength distributions, β-decay half-lives, β-delayed neutron emission probabilities and β − (EC) weak rates under stellar conditions. We have performed microscopic calculations based on deformed proton-neutron quasi-particle random phase approximation (p–n-QRPA) over a wide temperature (107 − 3 × 1010) K and density (10 − 1011) g/cm3 domain. Unique first-forbidden (U1F) transitions have been included in the calculations in addition to the allowed transitions. A significant decrease in calculated half-lives in ceratin cases, e.g., in 107Y (108Y) by about 67% (42%), has been observed because of the contribution from U1F transitions. We have compared present results with measured and theoretical works. A good agreement of our half-lives with experimental data is observed.