Study of Two-Neutron Radioactivity in the Decay of O-26

Authors

Z Kohley
T Baumann
D Bazin
G Christian
Paul A. DeYoung, Hope CollegeFollow
J E. Finck
N Frank
M Jones
E Lunderberg
B Luther
S Mosby
T Nagi
J K. Smith
J Snyder
A Spyrou
M Thoennessen

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-7-2013

Publication Source

Physical Review Letters

Volume Number

110

Issue Number

15

First Page

152501-1

Last Page

152501-5

Publisher

American Physical Society

ISSN

0031-9007

Comments

© 2013 American Physical Society

Abstract

A new technique was developed to measure the lifetimes of neutron unbound nuclei in the picosecond range. The decay of ²⁶O→²⁴O+n+n was examined as it had been predicted to have an appreciable lifetime due to the unique structure of the neutron-rich oxygen isotopes. The half-life of ²⁶O was extracted as 4.5_-1.5^+1.1(stat)±3(syst)  ps. This corresponds to ²⁶O having a finite lifetime at an 82% confidence level and, thus, suggests the possibility of two-neutron radioactivity.

Keywords

Excited Nuclear-States, Shell-Model, Drip Lines, Stability, Isotopes, Proton, Lifetimes, Limits, Li-11

Recommended Citation

Kohley, Z, T Baumann, D Bazin, G Christian, Paul A. DeYoung, J E. Finck, N Frank, M Jones, E Lunderberg, B Luther, S Mosby, T Nagi, J K. Smith, J Snyder, A Spyrou and M Thoennessen. "Study of Two-Neutron Radioactivity in the Decay of O-26." Physical Review Letters 110, no. 15 (2013). http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.152501