$\beta$-decay scheme of $^{140}$Te to $^{140}$I : Suppression of Gamow-Teller transitions between the neutron $h_{9/2}$ and proton $h_{11/2}$ partner orbitals

We report for the first time the β-decay scheme of Te140 (Z=52) to I140 (Z=53), with a specific focus on the Gamow-Teller strength along N=87 isotones. These results were obtained in an experiment performed at the Radioactive Ion Beam Factory (RIBF), RIKEN, where the parent nuclide, Te140, was produced through the in-flight fission of a U238 beam at 345 MeV per nucleon impinging on a Be9 target. Based on data from the high-efficiency γ-ray spectrometer, EUROBALL-RIKEN Cluster Array (EURICA), we constructed a decay scheme of I140. The half-life of Te140 has been determined to be 350(5) ms. A level at 926 keV has been assigned as a (1+) state based on the logft value of 4.89(6). This (1+) state, commonly observed in odd-odd nuclei, can be interpreted in terms of the πh11/2νh9/2 configuration formed by the Gamow-Teller transition between a neutron in the h9/2 orbital and a proton in the h11/2 orbital. We observe a sharp contrast to this type of β-decay branching to the lower-lying 1+ states between I140 and I136, where we see a large reduction as the number of neutrons increases. This is in contrast to the prediction by large-scale shell model calculations. To investigate this type of the suppression, results of the Nilsson model calculations will be discussed. Along the isotones with N=87, we discuss a characteristic feature of the Gamow-Teller distributions at 1+ states with respect to the isospin difference.