Abstract. The low-spin structure of 93 Nb has been studied using the (n, n γ) reaction at neutron energies ranging from 1.5 to 2.6 MeV and the 94 Zr(p, 2nγ) 93 Nb reaction at bombarding energies from 11.5 to 19 MeV. Excitation functions, lifetimes, and branching ratios were measured, and multipolarities and spin assignments were determined. The J π = 3/2 − and 5/2 − states at 1840 and 2013 keV, respectively, are identified as mixed-symmetry states associated with the (2 + 1,ms ) ⊗ 2p 1/2 particle-core coupling. These assignments are in agreement with energy systematics, spins and parities, and the observed strong M 1 transitions to the 2p 1/2 one-phonon structure. 41 Nb, are expected at similar excitation energies as their even-Z, N = 52 isotone neighbors with feeding of the symmetric one-phonon structures coupled to the low-lying 1g 9/2 and 2p 1/2 single-particle states. We have identified, for the first time in a nearly spherical odd-A nucleus, MS states from M 1 strengths, energy systematics, and spin and parity assignments.
PACSThe nucleus 93 Nb was studied using the (n, n γ) reaction at the University of Kentucky and the 94 Zr(p, 2nγ) 93 Nb reaction at the University of Cologne. Figure 1 shows the partial level scheme of interest for 93 Nb. One of the proposed MS states in 93 Nb, the 1840 keV level, has been identified from excitation function and coincidence data in the current work and assigned as a J π = 3/2 − state by the analysis of the angular correlation between the 1153 and 656 keV transitions depopulating states at 1840 and 687 keV, respectively (3/2 − → 3/2 − → 1/2 − ). As shown at the bottom of fig. 2, a mean life of 26(4) fs has been measured for the 1840 keV state through the Doppler-shift attenuation method following the (n, n γ) reaction [10]. Here, the shifted γ-ray energy is given by E γ (θ γ ) = E γ0 [1 + v0 c F (τ ) cos θ γ ], with E γ0 being the