Decay properties of the 3 1 − level in 96Mo

• Published in: Journal of physics. G, Nuclear and particle physics Vol. 46; no. 7
• Main Authors: Gregor, E T, Arsenyev, N N, Scheck, M, Shneidman, T M, Thürauf, M, Bernards, C, Blanc, A, Chapman, R, Drouet, F, Dzhioev, A A, de France, G, Jentschel, M, Jolie, J, Keatings, J M, Kröll, Th, Köster, U, Leguillon, R, Mashtakov, K R, Mutti, P, O'Donnell, D, Petrache, C M, Simpson, G S, Sinclair, J, Smith, J F, Soldner, T, Spagnoletti, P, Sushkov, A V, Urban, W, Vancraeyenest, A, Vanhoy, J R, Werner, V, Zell, K O, Zieli ska, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: IOP Publishing 15.05.2019
• Subjects: 3 branch; cluster model calculations; cold neutron capture reaction; octupole phonon; QRPA calculations; weak
• ISSN: 0954-3899; 1361-6471
• DOI: 10.1088/1361-6471/ab0b5e

The first excited 3 1 − level of 96Mo was investigated in a high-statistics experiment using the 95Mo(n, γγ) cold neutron capture reaction. The measurements used the high cold neutron flux from the research reactor at Institut Laue-Langevin and employed the highly-efficient EXILL array to detect γ-ray coincidences. The recorded statistics allow identification of decay branches with only a small relative intensity including the 3 1 − → 0 gs + E3 decay. With the knowledge of the newly measured branching ratio and the known B ( E 3 , 3 1 − → 0 gs + ) transition probability, the lifetime of the 3 1 − level was determined and, subsequently, the B ( E 1 ) strength of the other decay branches of the 3 1 − octupole phonon were calculated. The extracted electromagnetic decay strengths are compared to the systematics of the stable even-even molybdenum isotopes and values calculated in a Skyrme-force based quasiparticle random phase approximation and in a cluster approach. Additionally, the 3 1 − → 2 iv + decay branch to the low-lying 2 iv + quadrupole isovector level was observed.