Large Shape Staggering in Neutron-Deficient Bi Isotopes

The changes in the mean-square charge radius (relative to ^{209}Bi), magnetic dipole, and electric quadrupole moments of ^{187,188,189,191}Bi were measured using the in-source resonance-ionization spectroscopy technique at ISOLDE (CERN). A large staggering in radii was found in ^{187,188,189}Bi^{g}, manifested by a sharp radius increase for the ground state of ^{188}Bi relative to the neighboring ^{187,189}Bi^{g}. A large isomer shift was also observed for ^{188}Bi^{m}. Both effects happen at the same neutron number, N=105, where the shape staggering and a similar isomer shift were observed in the mercury isotopes. Experimental results are reproduced by mean-field calculations where the ground or isomeric states were identified by the blocked quasiparticle configuration compatible with the observed spin, parity, and magnetic moment.

^{7}Be(n,p)^{7}Li Reaction and the Cosmological Lithium Problem: Measurement of the Cross Section in a Wide Energy Range at n_TOF at CERN

We report on the measurement of the ^{7}Be(n,p)^{7}Li cross section from thermal to approximately 325 keV neutron energy, performed in the high-flux experimental area (EAR2) of the n_TOF facility at CERN. This reaction plays a key role in the lithium yield of the big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) for standard cosmology. The only two previous time-of-flight measurements performed on this reaction did not cover the energy window of interest for BBN, and they showed a large discrepancy between each other. The measurement was performed with a Si telescope and a high-purity sample produced by implantation of a ^{7}Be ion beam at the ISOLDE facility at CERN. While a significantly higher cross section is found at low energy, relative to current evaluations, in the region of BBN interest, the present results are consistent with the values inferred from the time-reversal ^{7}Li(p,n)^{7}Be reaction, thus yielding only a relatively minor improvement on the so-called cosmological lithium problem. The relevance of these results on the near-threshold neutron production in the p+^{7}Li reaction is also discussed.

Precision Mass Measurements of ^{58-63}Cr: Nuclear Collectivity Towards the N=40 Island of Inversion

The neutron-rich isotopes ^{58-63}Cr were produced for the first time at the ISOLDE facility and their masses were measured with the ISOLTRAP spectrometer. The new values are up to 300 times more precise than those in the literature and indicate significantly different nuclear structure from the new mass-surface trend. A gradual onset of deformation is found in this proton and neutron midshell region, which is a gateway to the second island of inversion around N=40. In addition to comparisons with density-functional theory and large-scale shell-model calculations, we present predictions from the valence-space formulation of the ab initio in-medium similarity renormalization group, the first such results for open-shell chromium isotopes.

Lack of association between haemostatic variables and the presence or the extent of coronary atherosclerosis

Blood samples were taken for haemostatic analysis from 225 patients with angina pectoris who were admitted to hospital for coronary angiography. beta thromboglobulin, platelet factor 3, platelet factor 4, factor VII:C, factor VIII:C, von Willebrand factor antigen, activated partial thromboplastin time, fibrinogen, antithrombin III, protein C:Ag, plasminogen, and antiplasmin were measured before angiography. Patients who had had a myocardial infarction in the two months before the investigation were excluded from the study. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that none of the haemostatic variables contributed independently to the prediction of an angiographic score that indicated the extent of coronary atherosclerosis. History of myocardial infarction, male sex, worsening of angina pectoris, serum triglycerides, and ejection fraction were independently associated with the angiographic score. There were some significant correlations between haemostatic variables and conventional risk factors for coronary heart disease. Thus data obtained from haemostatic analyses of peripheral venous blood do not permit the presence or the extent of atherosclerosis in coronary arteries to be predicted.