Abstract
First - and -spectroscopic decay studies of the -process “waiting-point” nuclide have been performed at CERN/ISOLDE using the highest achievable isotopic selectivity. Several nuclear-physics surprises have been discovered. The first one is the unanticipatedly high energy of 2.12 MeV for the [ level in , which is fed by the main Gamow-Teller transition. The second surprise is the rather high value of 8.34 MeV, which is in agreement only with recent mass models that include the phenomenon of shell quenching. Possible implications of these new results on the formation of the -process abundance peak are presented.
- Received 28 July 2003
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.91.162503
©2003 American Physical Society