The $\beta$ decay of ${}^{53,54}$Ni, ${}^{52,53}$Co, ${}^{51}$Fe, and ${}^{50}$Mn was investigated via the fragmentation of a ${}^{58}$Ni primary beam with an energy of 68.6 MeV/u. The proton-$\gamma$ coincidences of ${}^{53}$Ni $\beta$-delayed proton emission were observed. Based on the analysis of the proton-$\gamma$ coincidence events, it was inferred that the previous assignment of the excitation energy for the isobaric analog state in ${}^{53}$Co may be problematic. The half-lives of these nuclei were obtained, in which the uncertainty of ${}^{52}$Co half-life was reduced by a factor of 3. The half-lives were evaluated and used as inputs of nucleosynthesis calculations of the rapid proton-capture process in an x-ray burst.

• Received 28 September 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.87.024312