Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Prompt γ rays in 77Ge and 75Ge after thermal neutron capture

  • Regular Article - Experimental Physics
  • Published:
The European Physical Journal A Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The reactions 74Ge(n, γ) and 76Ge(n, γ) have been measured with cold neutrons generated by the research reactor FRM II near Munich, Germany. The γ rays have been detected by two Compton-suppressed HPGe systems in single and coincidence mode. The number of identified prompt transitions and levels in 77Ge was increased significantly and the decay scheme could be reconstructed for the first time. The decay scheme was also reconstructed for 68 prompt transitions in 75Ge. Previously reported inconsistencies of the γ-ray intensities in the 77Ge β decay could be resolved. In particular, the region around 2039 keV was investigated carefully, since the background to the neutrinoless double-beta decay of 76Ge must be understood well for the upcoming Gerda and Majorana experiments.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Gerda, The germanium detector array for the search of neutrinoless double beta decays of 76Ge at Gran Sasso, Proposal to the LNGS, http://www.mpi-hd.mpg.de/gerda (2004).

  2. Majorana Collaboration, White paper on the Majorana zero neutrino double-beta decay experiment, nucl-ex/0311013 (2003).

  3. A. Hasselgren, Nucl. Phys. A 198, 353 (1972).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. L.V. Groshev, L.I. Govor, A.M. Demidov, Bull. Acad. Sci. USSR 36, 753 (1973).

    Google Scholar 

  5. A. Farhan, B. Singh, Nucl. Data Sheets 81, 417 (1997).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. B.P. Kay et al., Phys. Rev. C 80, 017301 (2009).

    Article  MathSciNet  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. A.E. Zobov, Program and Thesis, Proc. 41st Ann. Conf. Nucl. Spectrosc. Struct. At. Nuclei, Minsk 54 (1991).

  8. A. Farhan, B. Singh, Nucl. Data Sheets 86, 785 (1999).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. M.A. Islam, T.J. Kennett, W.V. Prestwich, Phys. Rev. C 43, 1086 (1991).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. G. Meierhofer et al., Eur. Phys. J. A 40, 61 (2009).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. G. Meierhofer et al., Phys. Rev. C 81, 027603 (2010).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. P. Vermaercke et al., Nucl. Instrum. Methods A 622, 433 (2010).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. J. Marganiec et al., Phys. Rev. C 79, 065802 (2009).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. P. Kudejova et al., J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem. 278, 691 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. L. Canella, P. Kudejova, R. Schulze, A. Türler, J. Jolie, Nucl. Instum. Methods A 636, 108 (2010).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  16. J. Theuerkauf Program TV, Institute for Nuclear Physics, Cologne, Germany.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Database of prompt gamma rays from slow neutron capture for elemental analysis, Vienna: International Atomic Energy Agency (2006).

  18. G. Audi, A.H. Wapstra, C.Th. Thibault, Nucl. Phys. A 729, 337 (2003).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  19. E.M. Lent, PhD thesis, University of California, Davis (1974).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to P. Grabmayr.

Additional information

Communicated by R. Krücken

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Meierhofer, G., Grabmayr, P., Canella, L. et al. Prompt γ rays in 77Ge and 75Ge after thermal neutron capture. Eur. Phys. J. A 48, 20 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/i2012-12020-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/i2012-12020-y

Keywords

Navigation