Abstract
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 similar to 190. 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 Hg-207 have been probed using the neutron-adding (d,p) reaction in inverse kinematics. The radioactive beam of Hg-206 was delivered to the new ISOLDE Solenoidal Spectrometer at an energy above the Coulomb barrier. The spectroscopy of Hg-207 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.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 062502 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Physical Review Letters |
Volume | 124 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 13 Feb 2020 |
Keywords
- R-process
- Elements