Physical Review C
Author:
Keywords:
Science & Technology, Physical Sciences, Physics, Nuclear, Physics, GROUND-STATE PROPERTIES, NEUTRON-RICH NUCLEI, MEAN-FIELD THEORY, SHAPE COEXISTENCE, MO ISOTOPES, LIFETIME MEASUREMENTS, FISSION FRAGMENTS, ATOMIC-NUCLEI, SHELL-MODEL, DEFORMATION, 0202 Atomic, Molecular, Nuclear, Particle and Plasma Physics, Nuclear & Particles Physics, 5106 Nuclear and plasma physics
Abstract:
The structure of neutron-rich 96,98Sr nuclei was investigated by low-energy safe Coulomb excitation of radioactive beams at the REX-ISOLDE facility, CERN, with the MINIBALL spectrometer. A rich set of transitional and diagonal E2 matrix elements, including those for non-yrast structures, has been extracted from the differential Coulomb-excitation cross sections. The results support the scenario of a shape transition at N=60, giving rise to the coexistence of a highly deformed prolate and a spherical configuration in 98Sr, and are compared to predictions from several theoretical calculations. The experimental data suggest a significant contribution of the triaxal degree of freedom in the ground state of both isotopes. In addition, experimental information on low-lying states in 98Rb has been obtained.