Abstract
A new short-lived neutron-deficient isotope was synthesized in the fusion-evaporation reaction at the gas-filled recoil separator SHANS. Based on the measurement of the correlated -decay chains, the decay properties of with and were determined, which are in good agreement with theoretical predictions. From the new experimental results coupled with the recently reported -decay data of , the -decay systematics for Np isotopes around was established, which allows us for the first time to test the robustness of the shell closure in Np isotopes. The results also indicate that, in the region of nuclei with , the proton drip line has been reached for all odd- isotopes up to Np.
- Received 9 January 2019
- Revised 10 April 2019
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.192503
© 2019 American Physical Society