Observation of new neutron-rich isotopes in the vicinity of 110Zr

Neutron-rich radioactive isotope (RI) beams in the vicinity of Zr-110 were produced using the in-flight fission of a 345-MeV/nucleon U-238 beam at the RIKEN Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory. The RI beams were separated in flight by the large-acceptance two-stage fragment separator BigRIPS. Isotopes were clearly identified in a low-background particle-identification plot, which was obtained from the measurements of time of flight, magnetic rigidity, and energy loss using beam-line detectors placed in the BigRIPS separator and the ZeroDegree spectrometer. Nine new isotopes, Br-101, Kr-102, Rb-105,Rb-106, Sr-108, Y-110,Y-111, Zr-114, and Nb-117, are reported for the first time, with their measured production cross sections compared with the extrapolations of lighter isotopes down to the femtobarn regime.

Automated summary

Neutron-rich radioactive isotopes beams near Zr-110 were produced through in-flight fission, successfully separated using particle identification techniques. Nine new isotopes were reported for the first time, with their production cross sections compared to lighter isotopes.