Nuclear structure investigations of 84Sr and 86Sr using γ-ray spectroscopic methods

Abstract To investigate the low-spin structure of 84 Sr and 86 Sr, two fusion-evaporation experiments using the (p,2n) reaction have been performed. The data have been evaluated in terms of γ -ray spectroscopy, i.e. the level scheme was built up, branching intensities were determined, nuclear state spin and parity assignments were made after γγ angular correlation analyses. The previously known level scheme information was extended. In addition, lifetimes were determined by means of the Doppler Shift Attenuation Method (DSAM). In 86 Sr, a new method for lifetime determinations, the Spectral Difference Method (SDM), was applied for the first time. In cases where all necessary input variables were known, reduced transition strengths were calculated with Monte Carlo simulated probability density functions. It is stressed that linear error propagation for the calculated errors of reduced transition strengths is not universally applicable. As both nuclei lie in the vicinity of the N=50 neutron shell closure and on a possible proton subshell closure of the 2 p 3 / 2 orbital at Z=38, Nuclear Shell Model calculations for 84 Sr, 86 Sr, and 88 Sr have been performed in the truncated ( 2 p 3 / 2 , 1 f 5 / 2 , 2 p 1 / 2 , 1 g 9 / 2 ) model space for protons and neutrons with the empirical JUN45 residual interaction. The comparison between experimental results and theoretical predictions show a large degree of consistency.