β decay of (38)Ca: sensitive test of isospin symmetry-breaking corrections from mirror superallowed 0+ → 0+ transitions

We report the first branching-ratio measurement of the superallowed 0+→0+β transition from Ca38. The result, 0.7728(16), leads to an ft value of 3062.3(68) s with a relative precision of ±0.2%. This makes possible a high-precision comparison of the ft values for the mirror superallowed transitions, Ca38→38mK and K38m→Ar38, which sensitively tests the isospin symmetry-breaking corrections required to extract Vud, the up-down quark-mixing element of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix, from superallowed β decay. The result supports the corrections currently used and points the way to even tighter constraints on CKM unitarity.

Magnetic dipole moment of the doubly-closed-shell plus one proton nucleus 49Sc

The nucleus 49Sc, having a single f(7/2) proton outside doubly magic 48Ca (Z=20, N=28), is one of the very few isotopes which makes possible testing of the fundamental theory of nuclear magnetism. The magnetic moment has been measured by online β NMR of nuclei oriented at milli-Kelvin temperatures to be (+)5.616(25)  μ(N). The result is discussed in terms of a detailed theory of the structure of the magnetic moment operator, showing excellent agreement with calculated departure from the f(7/2) Schmidt limit extreme single-particle value. The measurement completes the sequence of moments of Sc isotopes with even numbers of f(7/2) neutrons: the first such isotopic chain between two major shells for which a full set of moment measurements exists. The result further completes the isotonic sequence of ground-state moments of nuclei with an odd number of f(7/2) protons coupled to a closed subshell of f(7/2) neutrons. Comparison with a recent shell-model calculation of the latter sequence is made.

Precision measurement of the 6He half-life and the weak axial current in nuclei

Studies of 6He beta decay along with tritium can play an important role in testing ab initio nuclear wave-function calculations and may allow for fixing low-energy constants in effective-field theories. Here, we present an improved determination of the 6He half-life to a relative precision of 3×10(-4). Our value of 806.89±0.11(stat)(-0.19syst)(+0.23)  ms resolves a major discrepancy between previous measurements. Calculating the statistical rate function we determined the ft value to be 803.04(-0.23)(+0.26)  s. The extracted Gamow-Teller matrix element agrees within a few percent with ab initio calculations.

Experimental validation of the largest calculated isospin-symmetry-breaking effect in a superallowed Fermi decay

A precision measurement of the γ yields following the β decay of (32)Cl has determined its isobaric-analogue branch to be (22.47(-0.18)(+0.21))%. Since it is an almost pure-Fermi decay, we can also determine the amount of isospin-symmetry breaking in this superallowed transition. We find a very large value, δ(C) = 5.3(9)%, in agreement with a shell-model calculation. This result sets a benchmark for isospin-symmetry-breaking calculations and lends support for similarly calculated, yet smaller, corrections that are currently applied to 0+ → 0 + transitions for tests of the standard model.

Precision branching ratio measurement for the superallowed beta+ emitter 62Ga and isospin-symmetry-breaking corrections in A>or=62 nuclei

A high-precision branching ratio measurement for the superallowed beta+ decay of 62Ga was performed at the Isotope Separator and Accelerator radioactive ion beam facility. Nineteen gamma rays emitted following beta+ decay of 62Ga were identified, establishing the dominant superallowed branching ratio to be (99.861+/-0.011)%. Combined with recent half-life and Q-value measurements, this branching ratio yields a superallowed ft value of 3075.6+/-1.4 s for 62Ga decay. These results demonstrate the feasibility of high-precision superallowed branching ratio measurements in the A>or=62 mass region and provide the first stringent tests of the large isospin-symmetry-breaking effects predicted for these decays.

New limits on fundamental weak-interaction parameters from superallowed beta decay

A new survey of all world data on superallowed beta decays provides demanding tests of, and tight constraints on, the weak interaction. In confirmation of the conserved vector current hypothesis, the vector coupling constant G(V) is demonstrated to be constant to better than three parts in 10(4), and any induced scalar current is limited to f(S)</=0.0013 in electron rest-mass units. Any possible fundamental scalar current is similarly limited to /C(S)/C(V)/</=0.0013. The superallowed data also determine the up-down element of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix to be V(ud)=0.9738(4). With Particle Data Group values for V(us) and V(ub), the top-row test of CKM unitarity yields /V(ud)/(2)+/V(us)/(2)+/V(ub)/(2)=0.9966(14); if V(us) comes instead from two recent results on K(e3) decay, this sum becomes 0.9996(11). Either unitarity result can be used to constrain the possible existence of right-hand currents.

Superallowed beta decay of nuclei with a >or= 62: the limiting effect of weak Gamow-Teller branches

The most precise value of V(ud), which is obtained from superallowed nuclear beta decay, leads to a violation of Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa unitarity by 2.2sigma. Experiments are underway on two continents to test and improve this result through decay studies of odd-odd N = Z nuclei with A>or=62. We show, in a series of illustrative shell-model calculations, that numerous weak Gamow-Teller branches are expected to compete with the superallowed branch in each of these nuclei. Though the total Gamow-Teller strength is significant, many of the individual branches will be unobservably weak. Thus, new techniques must be developed if reliable ft values are to be obtained with 0.1% precision for the superallowed branches.

Precise half-life measurement for the superallowed 0(+)-->0(+) beta emitter (74)Rb: first results from the new radioactive beam facility (ISAC) at TRIUMF

Presently, the world data for superallowed beta decay leads to a result in disagreement (at the 98% confidence level) with the predictions of the minimal standard model for the unitarity of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix. Precise data for the superallowed 0(+)-->0(+) beta decay of (74)Rb would provide a critical test of the nucleus-dependent isospin symmetry-breaking corrections that must be calculated for these superallowed Fermi beta decays. The present work reports the first precise measurement of the half-life for (74)Rb ( t(1/2) = 64.761+/-0.031 ms). The data were obtained at the radioactive beam facility (ISAC) at TRIUMF using a beam of approximately 4000 (74)Rb ions s(-1).

First On-line beta-NMR on oriented nuclei: magnetic dipole moments of the (nup(1/2))(-1) 1/2(-) ground state in 67Ni and (pip(3/2))(+1) 3/2(-) ground state in 69Cu

The first fully on-line use of the angular distribution of beta emission in detection of NMR of nuclei oriented at low temperatures is reported. The magnetic moments of the single valence particle, intermediate mass, isotopes 67Ni(nup(-1)(1/2);1/2(-)) and 69Cu(pip(1)(3/2);3/2(-)) are measured to be +0.601(5) &mgr;(N) and +2.84(1) &mgr;(N), respectively, revealing only a small deviation from the neutron p(1/2) single-particle value in the former and a large deviation from the proton p(3/2) single-particle value in the latter. Quantitative interpretation is given in terms of core polarization and meson-exchange currents.