The Advanced GAmma Tracking Array (AGATA) is a European project to develop and operate the next generation γ-ray spectrometer. AGATA is based on the technique of γ-ray energy tracking in electrically segmented high-purity germanium crystals. This technique requires the accurate determination of the energy, time and position of every interaction as a γ ray deposits its energy within the detector volume. Reconstruction of the full interaction path results in a detector with very high efficiency and excellent spectral response. The realisation of γ-ray tracking and AGATA is a result of many technical advances. These include the development of encapsulated highly segmented germanium detectors assembled in a triple cluster detector cryostat, an electronics system with fast digital sampling and a data acquisition system to process the data at a high rate. The full characterisation of the crystals was measured and compared with detector-response simulations. This enabled pulse-shape analysis algorithms, to extract energy, time and position, to be employed. In addition, tracking algorithms for event reconstruction were developed. The first phase of AGATA is now complete and operational in its first physics campaign. In the future AGATA will be moved between laboratories in Europe and operated in a series of campaigns to take advantage of the different beams and facilities available to maximise its science output. The paper reviews all the achievements made in the AGATA project including all the necessary infrastructure to operate and support the spectrometer

Neutron-rich isotopes around lead, beyond N=126, have been studied exploiting the fragmentation of an uranium primary beam at the FRS-RISING setup at GSI. For the first time β-decay half-lives of 219 Bi and 211,212,213 Tl isotopes have been derived. The half-lives have been extracted using a numerical simulation developed for experiments in high-background conditions. Comparison with state of the art models used in r-process calculations is given, showing a systematic underestimation of the experimental values, at variance from close-lying nuclei.

The neutron-rich lead isotopes, up to 216 Pb, have been studied for the first time, exploiting the fragmentation of a primary uranium beam at the FRS-RISING setup at GSI. The observed isomeric states exhibit electromagnetic transition strengths which deviate from state-of-the-art shell-model calculations. It is shown that their complete description demands the introduction of effective three-body interactions and two-body transition operators in the conventional neutron valence space beyond 208 Pb. The shell model is nowadays able to provide a comprehensive view of the atomic nucleus [1]. It is a many-body theoretical framework, successful in explaining various features of the structure of nuclei, based on the definition of a restricted valence space where a suitable Hamiltonian can be diagonalized. This effective interaction originates from realistic two-body nuclear forces based on phenomenological nucleon-nucleon potentials, renormalized to be adapted to the truncated model space. Although the renormalization process can be treated in a rigorous mathematical way, the appearance of effective terms is often neglected in calculations, as a common but incorrect practice. The presence and relevance of these effective forces is well known also in other fields of physics, as for example in condensed matter studies [2]. Indeed, effective three-body terms appear already at the lower perturbation order [3]: PRL 109, 162502 (2012) P H Y S I C A L

Background: Neutron-rich nuclei with protons in the fp shell show an onset of collectivity around N = 40. Spectroscopic information is required to understand the underlying mechanism and to determine the relevant terms of the nucleon-nucleon interaction that are responsible for the evolution of the shell structure in this mass region. Methods: We report on the lifetime measurement of the first 2 + and 4 + states in 70,72,74 Zn and the first 6 + state in 72 Zn using the recoil distance Doppler shift method. The experiment was carried out at the INFN Laboratory of Legnaro with the AGATA demonstrator, first phase of the Advanced Gamma Tracking Array of highly segmented, high-purity germanium detectors coupled to the PRISMA magnetic spectrometer. The excited states of the nuclei of interest were populated in the deep inelastic scattering of a 76 Ge beam impinging on a 238 U target. Results: The maximum of collectivity along the chain of Zn isotopes is observed for 72 Zn at N = 42. An unexpectedly long lifetime of 20 +1.8 −5.2 ps was measured for the 4 + state in 74 Zn. Conclusions: Our results lead to small values of the B(E2; 4 + 1 → 2 + 1 )/B(E2; 2 + 1 → 0 + 1 ) ratio for 72,74 Zn, suggesting a significant noncollective contribution to these excitations. These experimental results are not reproduced by state-of-the-art microscopic models and call for lifetime measurements beyond the first 2 + state in heavy zinc and nickel isotopes.

Gamma rays from excited states feeding a proton-emitting isomeric-state in 151 Lu have been observed for the first time. Comparison with state-of-the-art nonadiabatic quasiparticle calculations indicates an oblately deformed, 3/2 + proton-emitting state with a quadrupole deformation of β 2 = −0.11. The calculations suggest an increase in quadrupole deformation, to β 2 = −0.18, with increasing spin which is understood in terms of the mixing of Nilsson states at the Fermi surface. It is also shown that the proton decay half-life is consistent with that from a 3/2 + state with a quadrupole deformation of β 2 = −0.12.

The fragmentation of relativistic uranium projectiles has been exploited at the Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung laboratory to investigate the β decay of neutron-rich nuclei just beyond 208 Pb. This paper reports on β-delayed γ decays of [211][212][213] Tl, 215 Pb, and 215-219 Bi de-exciting states in the daughters 211-213 Pb, 215 Bi, and 215-219 Po. The resulting partial level schemes, proposed with the help of systematics and shell-model calculations, are presented. The role of allowed Gamow-Teller and first-forbidden β transitions in this mass region is discussed.

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Neutron-rich nuclei in the lead region, beyond N = 126, have been studied at the FRS-RISING setup at GSI, exploiting the fragmentation of a primary uranium beam. Two isomeric states have been identified in 210 Hg: the 8 + isomer expected from the seniority scheme in the νg 9/2 shell and a second one at low spin and low excitation energy. The decay strength of the 8 + isomer confirms the need of effective three-body forces in the case of neutron-rich lead isotopes. The other unexpected low-lying isomer has been tentatively assigned as a 3 − state, although this is in contrast with theoretical expectations. Keywords:Atomic nuclei are complex many-body systems with many degrees of freedom; nevertheless their spectral properties often show very regular features due to the symmetries of the nuclear hamiltonian. A remarkable example of this is offered by the occurrence of the seniority excitation scheme in spherical, semi-magic nuclei [1]. A deviation from this regular behaviour suggests a change in the underlying nuclear structure,