Spectroscopy in the Second Minimum of the Potential Energy Surface of <span class="aps-inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mrow><mmultiscripts><mrow><mi mathvariant="normal">Pu</mi></mrow><mprescripts></mprescripts><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>239</mn></mrow><mrow></mrow><mrow></mrow></mmultiscripts></mrow></math></span>

H. Backe; L. Richter; D. Habs; V. Metag; J. Pedersen; P. Singer; H. J. Specht

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.42.490

Spectroscopy in the Second Minimum of the Potential Energy Surface of ${}^{239}{Pu}$

H. Backe, L. Richter, D. Habs, V. Metag, J. Pedersen, P. Singer, and H. J. Specht

Phys. Rev. Lett. 42, 490 – Published 19 February 1979

Abstract

Conversion electrons from the decay of a spin isomer in the secondary minimum of ${}^{239}{Pu}$ have been measured. They are interpreted as transitions feeding and depopulating a rotational band built on the fission isomeric ground state with spin $\frac{5}{2}$ . Rotational parameters of $A = 3.36 \pm 0.10$ keV and $B = 4 \pm 3$ eV have been deduced. The observed upper limit on the $\frac{M 1}{E 2}$ mixing ratio of 1.4 suggests an antiparallel coupling between orbital angular momentum and spin vectors for the wave function of the fission isomer.

Received 16 November 1978

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.42.490

Authors & Affiliations

H. Backe and L. Richter

Institut für Kernphysik, Technische Hochschule Darmstadt, Darmstadt, West Germany

D. Habs^*, V. Metag, J. Pedersen^†, P. Singer, and H. J. Specht

Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Heidelberg, West Germany, and Physikalisches Institut der Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, West Germany

^*Present address: Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley, Calif. 914720.
^†On leave of absence from the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.