Discovery of 60Ca and Implications For the Stability of 70Ca
Abstract
The discovery of the important neutron-rich nucleus 20 60Ca40 and seven others near the limits of nuclear stability is reported from the fragmentation of a 345 MeV /u <SUJP>70Zn projectile beam on 9Be targets at the radioactive ion-beam factory of the RIKEN Nishina Center. The produced fragments were analyzed and unambiguously identified using the BigRIPS two-stage in-flight separator. The eight new neutron-rich nuclei discovered, 47P, 49S, 52Cl, 54Ar, 57K, 60,59Ca, and 62Sc, are the most neutron-rich isotopes of the respective elements. In addition, one event consistent with 59K was registered. The results are compared with the drip lines predicted by a variety of mass models and it is found that the models in best agreement with the observed limits of existence in the explored region tend to predict the even-mass Ca isotopes to be bound out to at least 70Ca.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review Letters
- Pub Date:
- July 2018
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.022501
- Bibcode:
- 2018PhRvL.121b2501T