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Rapid shape changes are observed for neutron-rich nuclei with A around 100. In particular, a sudden onset of ground-state deformation is observed in the Zr and Sr isotopic chains at N=60: low-lying states in N≤58 nuclei are nearly spherical, while those with N≥60 have a rotational character. Nuclear lifetimes as short as a few ps can be measured using fast-timing techniques with LaBr 3 (Ce)-scintillators, yielding a key ingredient in the systematic study of the shape evolution in this region. We used neutron-induced fission of 241 Pu and 235 U to study lifetimes of excited states in fission fragments in the A∼100 region with the EXILL-FATIMA array located at the PF1B cold neutron beam line at the Institut Laue-Langevin. In particular, we applied the generalized centroid difference method to deduce lifetimes of low-lying states for the nuclei 98 Zr (N=58), 100 Zr and 102 Zr (N≥60). The results are discussed in the context of the presumed phase transition in the Zr chain by comparing the experimental transition strengths with the theoretical calculations using the Interacting Boson Model and the Monte Carlo Shell Model.

In the EXILL campaign a highly efficient array of high purity germanium (HPGe) detectors was operated at the cold neutron beam facility PF1B of the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) to carry out nuclear structure studies, via measurements of γ-rays following neutron-induced capture and fission reactions. The setup consisted of a collimation system producing a pencil beam with a thermal capture equivalent flux of about 108 n s−1cm−2 at the target position and negligible neutron halo. The target was surrounded by an array of eight to ten anti-Compton shielded EXOGAM Clover detectors, four to six anti-Compton shielded large coaxial GASP detectors and two standard Clover detectors. For a part of the campaign the array was combined with 16 LaBr3:(Ce) detectors from the FATIMA collaboration. The detectors were arranged in an array of rhombicuboctahedron geometry, providing the possibility to carry out very precise angular correlation and directional-polarization correlation measurements. The triggerless acquisition system allowed a signal collection rate of up to 6 × 105 Hz. The data allowed to set multi-fold coincidences to obtain decay schemes and in combination with the FATIMA array of LaBr3:(Ce) detectors to analyze half-lives of excited levels in the pico- to microsecond range. Precise energy and efficiency calibrations of EXILL were performed using standard calibration sources of 133Ba, 60Co and 152Eu as well as data from the reactions 27Al(n,γ)28Al and 35Cl(n,γ)36Cl in the energy range from 30 keV up to 10 MeV.

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Lifetimes of low-lying yrast states in neutron-rich 94,96,98 Sr have been measured by Germanium-gated γ -γ fast timing with LaBr3(Ce) detectors using the EXILL&FATIMA spectrometer at the Institut Laue-Langevin. Sr fission products were generated using cold-neutron-induced fission of 235 U and stopped almost instantaneously within the thick target. The experimental B(E2) values are compared with results of Monte Carlo shell-model calculations made without truncation on the occupation numbers of the orbits spanned by eight proton and eight neutron orbits and show good agreement. Similarly to the Zr isotopes, the abrupt shape transition in the Sr isotopes near neutron number N = 60 is identified as being caused by many-proton excitations to its g 9/2 orbit.