Nuclear Structure Studies of ¹⁴²Praseodyium

Abstract

<p>The independent quasi particle model of nuclear excited states has successfully been applied by previous authors to the N = 83 nuclei ¹⁴⁰La and ¹⁴²Pr. In both these nuclei configuration mixing between the(π1°g_7/2ν2f_7/2) and (π2°g_5/2ν2f_7/2) configurations is expected to produce 14 negative parity states with spins 0,1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7. In the case of ¹⁴⁰La all fourteen states have been identified among the low lying excitations (below 600 Kev). In ¹⁴²Pr previous research had placed 10 of the expected low lying states, and all of these were located below 200 kev.</p> <p>In our research, using data from ¹³⁹La (α,n) gamma-gamma coincidence, from ¹⁴¹Pr (d,p), and ¹⁴⁴Nd (d,q), we were able to suggest the locations of three new nuclear levels in ¹⁴²Pr , two of which we believe to be the 6^- cind 7^- spin states not seen by previous investigators. The results are encouraging because these two levels are found at approximately the same excitation energy as the corresponding states in ¹⁴⁰La , and one hopes, therefore, that the similarity in level structure between these two nuclei can be explained by a neutron-proton interaction common to both nuclei. The three new states which we are suggesting are, [refer to the table in the pdf].</p>