Spectroscopy along Flerovium Decay Chains: Discovery of ^{280}Ds and an Excited State in ^{282}Cn

A nuclear spectroscopy experiment was conducted to study α-decay chains stemming from isotopes of flerovium (element Z=114). An upgraded TASISpec decay station was placed behind the gas-filled separator TASCA at the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung in Darmstadt, Germany. The fusion-evaporation reactions ^{48}Ca+^{242}Pu and ^{48}Ca+^{244}Pu provided a total of 32 flerovium-candidate decay chains, of which two and eleven were firmly assigned to ^{286}Fl and ^{288}Fl, respectively. A prompt coincidence between a 9.60(1)-MeV α particle event and a 0.36(1)-MeV conversion electron marked the first observation of an excited state in an even-even isotope of the heaviest man-made elements, namely ^{282}Cn. Spectroscopy of ^{288}Fl decay chains fixed Q_{α}=10.06(1)  MeV. In one case, a Q_{α}=9.46(1)-MeV decay from ^{284}Cn into ^{280}Ds was observed, with ^{280}Ds fissioning after only 518  μs. The impact of these findings, aggregated with existing data on decay chains of ^{286,288}Fl, on the size of an anticipated shell gap at proton number Z=114 is discussed in light of predictions from two beyond-mean-field calculations, which take into account triaxial deformation.

Effects of scarring on quantum chaos in disordered quantum wells

The suppression of chaos in quantum reality is evident in quantum scars, i.e. in enhanced probability densities along classical periodic orbits. They provide opportunities in controlling quantum transport in nanoscale quantum systems. Here, we study energy level statistics of perturbed two-dimensional quantum systems exhibiting recently discovered, strong perturbation-induced quantum scarring. In particular, we focus on the effect of local perturbations and an external magnetic field on both the eigenvalue statistics and scarring. Energy spectra are analyzed to investigate the chaoticity of the quantum system in the context of the Bohigas-Giannoni-Schmidt conjecture. We find that in systems where strong perturbation-induced scars are present, the eigenvalue statistics are mostly mixed, i.e. between Wigner-Dyson and Poisson pictures in random matrix theory. However, we report interesting sensitivity of both the eigenvalue statistics to the perturbation strength, and analyze the physical mechanisms behind this effect.

Two-phonon structures for beta-decay theory

The β-decay rates of 60Ca have been studied within a microscopic model, which is based on the Skyrme interaction T45 to construct single-particle and phonon spaces. We observe a redistribution of the Gamow–Teller strength due to the phonon-phonon coupling, considered in the model. For 60Sc, the spin-parity of the ground state is found to be 1+. We predict that the half-life of 60Ca is 0.3 ms, while the total probability of the βxn emission is 6:1%. Additionally, the random matrix theory has been applied to analyze the statistical properties of the 1+ spectrum populated in the β-decay to elucidate the obtained results.

Spectroscopy of element 115 decay chains

A high-resolution α, x-ray, and γ-ray coincidence spectroscopy experiment was conducted at the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung. Thirty correlated α-decay chains were detected following the fusion-evaporation reaction 48Ca + 243Am. The observations are consistent with previous assignments of similar decay chains to originate from element Z=115. For the first time, precise spectroscopy allows the derivation of excitation schemes of isotopes along the decay chains starting with elements Z>112. Comprehensive Monte Carlo simulations accompany the data analysis. Nuclear structure models provide a first level interpretation.