Search for \(2p\) decay of the first excited state of \(^{17}\)Ne

• Published in: arXiv.org
• Main Authors: Sharov, P G, Bezbakh, A A, Chudoba, V, Fomichev, A S, Golovkov, M S, Gorshkov, A V, Grigorenko, L V, Kaminski, G, Knyazev, A G, Krupko, S A, Mentel, M, E Yu Nikolskii, Parfenova, Yu L, Pluchinski, P, Rymzhanova, S A, Sidorchuk, S I, Slepnev, R S, Stepantsov, S V, Ter-Akopian, G M, Wolski, R, Zhukov, M V
• Format: Paper
• Language: English
• Published: Ithaca Cornell University Library, arXiv.org 09.06.2017
• Subjects: Astrophysics; Decay; Protons; Radioactivity
• ISSN: 2331-8422
• DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.1612.04697

Two-proton decay of the \(^{17}\)Ne low-lying states populated in the \(^1\)H(\(^{18}\)Ne,\(d\))\(^{17}\)Ne transfer reaction was studied. The two-proton width \(\Gamma_{2p}\) of the \(^{17}\)Ne first excited \(3/2^-\) state at \(E^*=1.288\) MeV is of importance for the two-proton radioactivity theory and nuclear-astrophysics applications. A dedicated search for the two-proton emission of this state was performed leading to the new upper limit obtained for the width ratio \(\Gamma_{2p}/\Gamma_{\gamma} < 1.6(3) \times 10^{-4}\). A novel, "combined mass" method is suggested and tested capable to improve the resolution of the experiment which is a prime significance for the study of nuclear states with extremely small particle-to-gamma width ratios \(\Gamma_{\mathrm{part}}/\Gamma_{\gamma}\). The condition \(\Gamma_{\mathrm{part}} \ll \Gamma_{\gamma}\) is quite common for the states of astrophysical interest which makes the proposed approach promising in this field.