2005/03/24 by P. T. Hosmer, P. Hosmer, H. Schatz +25 · 2 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomical and nuclear sciences #Nuclear Physics and Applications #Nuclear physics research studies #astro-ph #nucl-ex
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.94.112501
published as Phys.Rev.Lett.94:112501,2005 · 4 pages, 3 figures
openalex publication_date 2005/03/24 · arxiv created 2005/04/04 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Nuclei with magic numbers serve as important benchmarks in nuclear theory. In addition, neutron-rich nuclei play an important role in the astrophysical rapid neutron-capture process (r process). 78Ni is the only doubly magic nucleus that is also an important waiting point in the r process, and serves as a major bottleneck in the synthesis of heavier elements. The half-life of 78Ni has been experimentally deduced for the first time at the Coupled Cyclotron Facility of the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory at Michigan State University, and was found to be 110_\ensuremath-60+100 ms. In the same experiment, a first half-life was deduced for 77Ni of 128_\ensuremath-33+27 ms, and more precise half-lives were deduced for 75Ni and 76Ni of 344_\ensuremath-24+20 ms and 238_\ensuremath-18+15 ms, respectively.