Eur. Phys. J. A (2007) 31: 1-7
https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/i2006-10158-9

Regular Article - Nuclear Structure and Reactions

Decay study of neutron-rich zirconium isotopes employing a Penning trap as a spectroscopy tool

Department of Physics, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35 (YFL), FIN-40014, Jyväskylä, Finland

Received: 29 September 2006
Accepted: 10 December 2006
Published online: 18 January 2007

Abstract

A new technique to produce isobarically pure ion beams for decay spectroscopy by using a gas-filled Penning trap was commissioned at the ion guide isotope separator on-line facility, IGISOL. β-decays of neutron-rich ¹⁰⁰Zr, ¹⁰²Zr and ¹⁰⁴Zr isotopes were studied with this technique. In addition, the values of ^100,102,104Zr β-decays were determined from the direct mass measurements of zirconium and niobium isotopes performed with a high-precision Penning trap. The mass of ¹⁰⁴Nb was directly measured for the first time and the obtained mass excess value for the longer-living (1⁺) state is -71823±10 keV. For the ground states of ¹⁰⁰Nb and ¹⁰²Nb the obtained mass excess values were -79802±20 keV and -76309±10 keV, respectively. The observed distribution of the β strength supports a prolate deformation assignment for ^100,102,104Zr isotopes.