Search for shape-coexisting 0+ states in Ni 66 from lifetime measurements
B. Olaizola et al. -- 6 pags., 6 figs., 2 tabs. ; The lifetime of the 03+ state in Ni66, two neutrons below the N=40 subshell gap, has been measured. The transition B(E2;03+→21+) is one of the most hindered E2 transitions in the Ni isotopic chain and it implies that, unlike Ni68, there is a spherical structure at low excitation energy. We have performed extensive shell-model calculations that correctly predict this result, obtaining a spherical 0+ state at the correct energy and with an extremely low B(E2;03+→21+) value. ; This work was partially supported by the Spanish MINECO through projects FPA2013-41267-P, FPA2014- 57196, FPA2015-65035-P, and the NuPNET network FATIMA (PRI-PIMNUP-2011-1338). The support by the European Union Seventh Framework through ENSAR (Contract No. 262010) is acknowledged. Fast timing electronics were provided by the Fast Timing Collaboration and MASTICON. B.O. acknowledges funding by the CPAN project (CSD-2007-00042@ Ingenio 2010). A.A. and S.R.L. acknowledge funding by the US National Science Foundation under Contract No. PHY-07-58100. J.A.B. acknowledges funding by the Spanish MINECO through Project FPA2012-32443. A.P. is partly funded by Programme "Centros de Excelencia Severo Ochoa" (SEV-2012-0249). ; Peer Reviewed