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Published on: May 3, 2019
Direct observation of two protons in the decay of 54Zn
1Centre d'Études Nucléaires de Bordeaux Gradignan-Université Bordeaux 1-UMR 5797 CNRS/IN2P3, Chemin du Solarium, BP 120, 33175 Gradignan, France.
Abstract:
The two protons emitted in the decay of 54Zn have been individually observed for the first time in a time projection chamber. The total decay energy and the half-life measured in this work agree with the results obtained in a previous experiment. Angular and energy correlations between the two protons are determined and compared to theoretical distributions of a three-body model. Within the shell model framework, the relative decay probabilities show a strong contribution of the p2 configuration for the two-proton emission. After 45Fe, the present result on 54Zn constitutes only the second case of a direct observation of the ground state two-proton decay of a long-lived isotope.
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