We present a new iterative procedure to extract the level density and the γ strength function from primary γ spectra for energies close up to the neutron binding energy. The procedure is tested on simulated spectra and on data from the 173 Yb( 3 He,α) 172 Yb reaction.

The level density at low spin in the 161,162-Dy and 171,172-Yb nuclei has been extracted from primary gamma rays. The nuclear heat capacity is deduced within the framework of the canonical ensemble. The heat capacity exhibits an S-formed shape as a function of temperature, which is interpreted as a fingerprint of the phase transition from a strongly correlated to an uncorrelated phase. The critical temperature for the quenching of pair correlations is found at Tc=0.50(4) MeV.Comment: 8 pages including 4 figures, different method to extract Tc, different figures, text partly rewritte

The density of accessible levels in the ( 3 He,αγ) reaction has been extracted for the 162 Dy, 166 Er and 172 Yb nuclei. The nuclear temperature is measured as a function of excitation energy in the region of 0 -6 MeV. The temperature curves reveal structures indicating new degrees of freedom. The heat capacity of the nuclear system is discussed within the framework of a canonical ensemble. PACS number(s): 21.10. Ma, 23.20.Lv, 24.10.Pa, 25.55.Hp, 27.70.+q Typeset using REVT E X 1

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We perform continuous-choice Brueckner-Hartree-Fock calculations of hypernuclear matter, using the recent Nijmegen potentials for hyperon-nucleon and hyperon-hyperon interactions. Single-particle observables of the various hyperons in bulk matter, as well as properties of single-and double-lambda hypernuclei, employing an extended Skyrme-Hartree-Fock scheme, are presented. We find that the potentials tend to overbind the single hypernuclei and strongly underbind the double hypernuclei.