Spectroscopy along Flerovium Decay Chains: Discovery of ^{280}Ds and an Excited State in ^{282}Cn.

A nuclear spectroscopy experiment was conducted to study α-decay chains stemming from isotopes of flerovium (element Z=114). An upgraded TASISpec decay station was placed behind the gas-filled separator TASCA at the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung in Darmstadt, Germany. The fusion-evaporation reactions ^{48}Ca+^{242}Pu and ^{48}Ca+^{244}Pu provided a total of 32 flerovium-candidate decay chains, of which two and eleven were firmly assigned to ^{286}Fl and ^{288}Fl, respectively.

Spectroscopy of element 115 decay chains.

A high-resolution α, x-ray, and γ-ray coincidence spectroscopy experiment was conducted at the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung. Thirty correlated α-decay chains were detected following the fusion-evaporation reaction 48Ca + 243Am. The observations are consistent with previous assignments of similar decay chains to originate from element Z=115.

Return of collective rotation in 157Er and 158Er at ultrahigh spin.

A new frontier of discrete-line gamma-ray spectroscopy at ultrahigh spin has been opened in the rare-earth nuclei (157,158) Er. Four rotational structures, displaying high moments of inertia, have been identified, which extend up to spin approximately 65 variant Planck's over 2pi and bypass the band-terminating states in these nuclei which occur at approximately 45 variant Planck's over 2pi. Cranked Nilsson-Strutinsky calculations suggest that these structures arise from well-deformed triaxial configurations that lie in a valley of favored shell energy which also includes the triaxial strongly deformed bands in (161-167) Lu.

58Ni: an unpaired band crossing at new heights of angular momentum for rotating nuclei.

High-spin states in 58Ni have been investigated by means of the fusion-evaporation reaction 28Si(32S, 2p)58Ni at 130 MeV beam energy. Discrete-energy levels are observed in 58Ni at record-breaking 42 MeV excitation energy and angular momenta in excess of 30h. The states form regular rotational bands with unprecedented high rotational frequencies.

Evidence for nontermination of rotational bands in 74Kr.

Three rotational bands in 74Kr were studied up to (in one case one transition short of) the maximum spin I(max) of their respective single-particle configurations. Their lifetimes have been determined using the Doppler-shift attenuation method. The deduced transition quadrupole moments reveal a modest decrease, but far from a complete loss of collectivity at the maximum spin I(max).