Zero-degree Spectrometer Research Articles

BlueSTEAl: A pair of silicon arrays and a zero-degree phoswich detector for studies of scattering and reactions in inverse kinematics

BlueSTEAl, the Blue (aluminum chamber of) Silicon TElescope Arrays for light nuclei, has been developed to study direct reactions in inverse kinematics, as well as scattering and breakup reactions using radioactive ion beams. It is a detector system consisting of a pair of annular silicon detector arrays and a zero-degree phoswich plastic scintillator. For typical binary reaction studies in inverse kinematics, light ions are detected by the Si array in coincidence with heavy recoils detected by the phoswich placed at the focal-plane of a zero-degree magnetic spectrometer. The Si array can also be used to detect light nuclei such as beryllium and carbon with clear isotope separation, while the phoswich can also be placed at zero degrees without a spectrometer and used as a high-efficiency beam counting monitor with particle identification capability at the rate of up to ∼5 × 104 particles per second. This paper reports on the capabilities of BlueSTEAl as determined by recent experiments performed at the Texas A&M Cyclotron Institute. The device is also anticipated to be used in future experiments at other radioactive ion beam facilities.

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

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

Study of the N=32 and N=34 Shell Gap for Ti and V by the First High-Precision Multireflection Time-of-Flight 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 multireflection time-of-flight technique. The radioisotopes have been produced at RIKEN's Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory (RIBF) and delivered to the novel designed gas cell and multireflection system, 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 10keV, 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 nonexistence 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 MonteCarlo 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.

The β-decay of 70Kr into 70Br: Restoration of the pseudo-SU(4) symmetry

The β-decay of the even-even nucleus 70Kr with Z=N+2, has been investigated at the Radioactive Ion Beam Factory (RIBF) of the RIKEN Nishina Center using the BigRIPS fragment separator, the ZeroDegree Spectrometer, the WAS3ABI implantation station and the EURICA HPGe cluster array. Fifteen γ-rays associated with the β-decay of 70Kr into 70Br have been identified for the first time, defining ten populated states below Eexc=3300 keV. The half-life of 70Kr was derived with increased precision and found to be t1/2=45.19±0.14 ms. The β-delayed proton emission probability has also been determined as εp=0.545(23)%. An increase in the β-strength to the yrast 1+ state in comparison with the heaviest Z=N+2 system studied so far (62Ge decay) is observed that may indicate increased np correlations in the T=0 channel. The β-decay strength deduced from the results is interpreted in terms of the proton-neutron quasiparticle random-phase approximation (pnQRPA) and also with a schematic model that includes isoscalar and isovector pairing in addition to quadrupole deformation. The application of this last model indicates an approximate realization of pseudo-SU(4) symmetry in this system.

Observation of new neutron-rich isotopes in the vicinity of Zr110

Neutron-rich radioactive isotope (RI) beams in the vicinity of Zr110 were produced using the in-flight fission of a 345-MeV/nucleon U238 beam at the RIKEN Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory. The RI beams were separated in flight by the large-acceptance two-stage fragment separator BigRIPS. Isotopes were clearly identified in a low-background particle-identification plot, which was obtained from the measurements of time of flight, magnetic rigidity, and energy loss using beam-line detectors placed in the BigRIPS separator and the ZeroDegree spectrometer. Nine new isotopes, Br101, Kr102, Rb105,106, Sr108, Y110,111, Zr114, and Nb117, are reported for the first time, with their measured production cross sections compared with the extrapolations of lighter isotopes down to the femtobarn regime.Received 6 July 2020Accepted 13 January 2021DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.103.014614©2021 American Physical SocietyPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Research AreasFissionLow & intermediate energy heavy-ion reactionsNuclear structure & decaysRare & new isotopesUnstable nuclei induced nuclear reactionsr processProperties90 ≤ A ≤ 149Nuclear Physics

Energy-control and novel particle-identification methods combined with range in a multi-sampling ionization chamber for experiments using slowed-down RI beams

A method for controlling the energy of slowed-down RI beams with the goal energy of 20 MeV/u was developed at the RIKEN RI Beam Factory. The 93Zr beam energy was successfully tuned to 20.2 MeV/u in a single step by adjusting its momentum selected by the first dipole magnet after a primary target. A method for particle identification was developed for the secondary reaction fragments at 50 MeV/u. The dispersive mode was applied to the ZeroDegree spectrometer to measure the momentum at the final focus F11. The reaction fragments were stopped in the multi-sampling ionization chamber (MUSIC) placed at F11, which measured the ΔE−E of the beam particles. In addition, the range R in MUSIC was determined with a resolution of 1.4 mm (σ) by using the energy ratio obtained from multi-sampled energy deposits. The atomic number was determined from the E−R correlation with a resolution of 0.15 (σ). To distinguish the charge state of the RI beam after the secondary reaction target, the range with the correction for the β dependence was combined with the mass-to-charge ratio determined from the time-of-flight and magnetic-rigidity measurements. A 5.6 σ separation was obtained between 92Zr40+ and 90Zr39+ using these two values.

Discovery of 68Br in secondary reactions of radioactive beams

The proton-rich isotope 68Br was discovered in secondary fragmentation reactions of fast radioactive beams. Proton-rich secondary beams of 70,71,72Kr and 70Br, produced at the RIKEN Nishina Center and identified by the BigRIPS fragment separator, impinged on a secondary 9Be target. Unambiguous particle identification behind the secondary target was achieved with the ZeroDegree spectrometer. Based on the expected direct production cross sections from neighboring isotopes, the lifetime of the ground or long-lived isomeric state of 68Br was estimated. The results suggest that secondary fragmentation reactions, where relatively few nucleons are removed from the projectile, offer an alternative way to search for new isotopes, as these reactions populate preferentially low-lying states.

New ion-optical operating modes of the BigRIPS and ZeroDegree spectrometer for the production and separation of high-quality rare isotopes beams and high-resolution spectrometer experiments

BigRIPS is a powerful two-stage in-flight separator for the research with exotic nuclei studied in frontier experiments since more than a decade. The ion-optical system is very versatile due to the multi-stage structure of BigRIPS combined with the ZeroDegree spectrometer or the Superconducting Ring Cyclotron (SRC). Various optical modes can be flexibly realized according to the purpose of experiments. Two categories of developments are presented here. One is a new operating mode of BigRIPS aiming at higher ion-optical resolving power. BigRIPS itself has a two-stage structure. Spatial isotope separation is made at both the first and second stages. In the standard operating mode of BigRIPS, at the second stage the two spatial separations with energy degraders are subtractive in their resolving powers. Here, we present the additive mode. With the resulting increased spatial separation power, the isotopic background can be substantially reduced. Higher ion-optical resolving powers of the first and second BigRIPS degrader stages are also investigated with the goals to reduce further the background and to yield access to new isotopes of heavier elements. The other development is a dispersion-matched system with BigRIPS for high-resolution spectrometer experiments. The BigRIPS and ZeroDegree spectrometer are presently two independent, coupled achromatic systems. A new dispersion-matched mode of BigRIPS and ZeroDegree will enable novel experiments. For high-resolution spectroscopy experiments with high-intensity light projectiles, SRC and BigRIPS can be operated as a dispersion-matched system. The described different ion-optical developments are a base for a new category of experiments exploring exotic nuclei and mesic atoms. Characteristic future experiments with these new ion-optical developments are exemplified in this report.

First Spectroscopy of the Near Drip-line Nucleus ^{40}Mg.

One of the most exotic light neutron-rich nuclei currently accessible for experimental study is ^{40}Mg, which lies at the intersection of the nucleon magic number N=28 and the neutron drip line. Low-lying excited states of ^{40}Mg have been studied for the first time following a one-proton removal reaction from ^{41}Al, performed at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory of RIKEN Nishina Center with the DALI2 γ-ray array and the ZeroDegree spectrometer. Two γ-ray transitions were observed, suggesting an excitation spectrum that shows unexpected properties as compared to both the systematics along the Z=12, N≥20 Mg isotopes and available state-of-the-art theoretical model predictions. A possible explanation for the observed structure involves weak-binding effects in the low-lying excitation spectrum.

Probing the nuclear structure in the vicinity of 78Ni

Theoretical and experimental studies of neutron-rich nuclei have shown that the general concept of shell structure is not as robust and universal as earlier thought, but can exhibit significant changes as a function of neutron excess. New magic numbers appear and some other conventional ones disappear mainly because of a different ordering of the single-particle orbitals. In the present contribution, recent experimental studies of neutron-rich Cu isotopes, performed at RIKEN using β decay and one-proton knockout reactions, will be discussed. Neutron-rich nuclei near 78Ni were populated through in-flight fission of 238U on thick 9Be targets in both experiments. In the β-decay study, 75,77Ni nuclei were implanted into the WAS3ABi silicon array, while γ rays from excited states in 75,77Cu emitted after β decay of the implanted ions were detected with the EURICA Ge detector array that was surrounding the active stopper. In a second experiment within the SEASTAR campaign at RIKEN, the same 75,77Cu nuclei were produced in (p,2p) knockout reactions from 76,78Zn beam particles at around 250 MeV/nucleon impinging onto the MINOS liquid hydrogen target. In the latter experiment the DALI2 NaI array was used to detect de-excitation γ rays measured in coincidence with Cu nuclei identified in the Zero Degree Spectrometer. Both studies are complimentary and greatly contribute to our understanding on the nuclear structure in the 78Ni region.

Inelastic scattering of 72,74Ni off a proton target

Inelastic scattering of 72,74Ni off a proton target was performed at RIBF, RIKEN, Japan. The isotopes were produced by the fission of 238U on a thick Beryllium target and were then selected and identified on an event-by-event basis using the BigRIPS separator. Selected isotopes were focused onto the liquid hydrogen target of the MINOS device and gamma rays from the reactions were measured with the DALI2 array. The energy of the ions in the middle of the target was 213 MeV/u. Outgoing particles were identified using the ZeroDegree spectrometer. Here, we report on the current status of the data analysis and preliminary results for the proton inelastic scattering cross sections for both isotopes.

First Results on the Excited States in $^{77}$Cu

The level structure of the 77Cu nucleus has been studied by means of β-delayed γ-ray spectroscopy at RIKEN Nishina Center. Secondary beam particles in the region near 78Ni were produced via in-flight fission of 238U on a thick 9Be target at a primary beam energy of 345 MeV/nucleon. After identification in atomic number (Z) and mass-to-charge ratio (A∕Q) in the BigRIPS fragment separator, the fission products were delivered to the final focal plane through the ZeroDegree Spectrometer. The WAS3ABI silicon stack array was used for the implantation of the ions, while de-excitation γ rays were detected with the EURICA γ-ray spectrometer at the focal plane. Beta-correlated particle identification of 77Ni allowed to obtain the γ-ray spectrum of the daughter 77Cu in a selective way. Experimental details and first results on the excited states in 77Cu nucleus will be presented in this contribution.

Isotopic yields of spallation residues produced inXe136-induced reactions on deuterium at500AMeV

Residual fragment production in reactions induced by $^{136}\mathrm{Xe}$ projectiles impinging on a liquid deuterium target at $500A$ MeV has been measured at GSI. Projectile residues were unambiguously identified in atomic and mass numbers using the Fragment Separator as high-resolution zero-degree spectrometer. The isotopic production yields of these residuals were used to benchmark reference model calculations describing spallation reactions. In particular the energy dissipated in these reactions was assessed by comparing the production yields measured in this work with the ones obtained in reactions induced by $^{136}\mathrm{Xe}$ projectiles on protons at $1000A$ and $500A$ MeV.

Observation of New Isotope 131Ag via the Two-Step Fragmentation Technique

We report on the first observation of the neutron-rich nucleus 131Ag. This isotope was produced via fragmentation reactions of intense secondary radioactive ion beams, including 134,135Sn. The secondary beams were produced from induced fission reactions from a stable 238U beam at 345 MeV/nucleon. Secondary reaction residues were selected by the ZeroDegree spectrometer and identified by measuring their magnetic rigidity, time of flight, energy loss, and total kinetic energy.

Installation and commissioning of EURICA – Euroball-RIKEN Cluster Array

EURICA is a project at RIKEN Nishina Center aimed at studying a wide range of exotic nuclei through β-decay measurements and high-resolution γ-ray spectroscopy. The setup is located behind the BigRIPS fragment separator and the ZeroDegree spectrometer at the RIBF. EURICA consists of the HPGe cluster detectors from the previous Euroball and RISING projects, together with double-sided silicon-strip detectors for β-decay counting and lifetime measurements. In total, this setup provides us with the possibility to study several aspects of the exotic nuclei produced at the RIBF.

Unfolding the response of a zero-degree magnetic spectrometer from measurements of the [formula omitted] resonance

The magnetic spectrometer FRagment Separator at GSI has been used to investigate the in-medium Δ-resonance excitation in peripheral heavy-ion reactions. The resolving power of this spectrometer makes it possible to disentangle the longitudinal-momentum loss induced by the excitation of the Δ resonance in the projectile residues produced in isobaric charge-exchange collisions. However, beam emittance, electromagnetic interactions of projectile and residual nuclei in the target, and the accuracy of the tracking detectors limit the final resolution. The characterization of the Δ resonance requires then to unfold the measured longitudinal-momentum distribution from the response of the spectrometer. In this work, we use an unfolding procedure based on the Richardson–Lucy method with a regularization technique to optimize the stability of the solution against statistical fluctuations. The method is validated using measurements of isobaric charge-changing collisions with a 136Xe beam at 500AMeV.

In-beam gamma-ray spectroscopy at the RIBF

At the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory stable primary beams are accelerated up to 345 MeV/u and incident on a primary target to produce secondary cocktail beams with the fragment separator BigRIPS ranging from the lightest nuclei up to the uranium region. For in-beam γ-ray spectroscopy, the secondary beam impinge on a reaction target at energies between 100 and 300 MeV/u. Reaction residues are identified with the ZeroDegree spectrometer and γ-rays detected with the NaI(Tl) based DALI2 array. This conference paper outlines the experimental setup and presents recent exemplary results.

BigRIPS separator and ZeroDegree spectrometer at RIKEN RI Beam Factory

The BigRIPS in-flight separator, which became operational in March 2007 at the RI Beam Factory (RIBF) at RIKEN Nishina Center, has been used to produce a variety of rare-isotope (RI) beams by using in-flight fission as well as projectile fragmentation. Its major features are large ion-optical acceptances and two-stage structure. Excellent performance in particle identification is also an important feature. Efficient RI-beam production based on the in-flight scheme has been made possible by these features of the BigRIPS separator, allowing us to greatly expand the accessible region of exotic nuclei. An RI-beam delivery line following the BigRIPS separator is designed to work as a forward spectrometer, called ZeroDegree. As a major experimental device at RIBF, the ZeroDegree spectrometer has been used for a variety of reaction studies with RI beams. In this paper, we present an overview of the BigRIPS separator and the ZeroDegree spectrometer, emphasizing the capability and potential of the new-generation RI beam facility, RIBF.

RI beam facility project at RIKEN and physics programs

In the Radioactive-Isotope Beam Factory (RIBF) project in RIKEN, intense primary beams can be provided at the energies E = 350−400MeV over the whole range of atomic number in the cascade-cyclotron acceleration scheme, for which three cyclotrons, fRC, IRC, and SRC, have been newly constructed. The project proceeds through two phases. In the phase-I program, the superconducting in-flight radioactive-isotope beam separator BigRIPS and the following ZeroDegree spectrometer have been installed as well as the three cyclotrons. In the commissioning, after the successful extraction of a 238U beam from SRC at E = 345 A MeV in the cascade-acceleration scheme, radioactive-isotope beams were produced and isotope-separated with BigRIPS as designed. The RIBF project is fully capitalized in the phase-II program, in which the construction of several experimental key devices has been proposed. The upgrade of the former fragment separator RIPS is also included there. It allow for a scheme to use intense primary beams at the intermediate energy E = 115 A MeV with RIPS. Remarkably, the produced radioactive-isotope beams at this energy can be spin-polarized taking the advantage of the fragmentation-induced spin orientation phenomena.

Tagging of η mesons using the pd → 3Heη reaction near threshold

A zero-degree spectrometer for tagging η mesons on the CELSIUS/WASA facility is described, and its characteristics are presented. Tagging of η mesons is performed by detecting 3He ions produced by ...