High resolution studies of transitions in the decay chain¹⁴⁶Gd to¹⁴⁶Eu to¹⁴⁶Sm

Abstract

Transitions in¹⁴⁶Eu and¹⁴⁶Sm were studied using a double-focussing beta-ray spectrometer and a Ge(Li) detector. Internal conversion and gamma-ray intensities were determined.

The internal conversion spectrum of the three 155, 115 and 116 keV cascading transitions in¹⁴⁶Eu was studied for all subshells.K-,L- andM-subshell ratios were determined andE2/M1 mixing ratios were deduced for these three transitions. Intensities from theN- andO+P-shells were determined and compared to theoretical calculations. All internal conversion intensities were found to be in agreement with theoretical data for pureM1 character with smallE2 admixtures for all the three transitions.

Selected parts of the internal conversion spectrum of the transitions in¹⁴⁶Sm were restudied at 0.06% momentum resolution. This study was mainly concentrated on four transition doublets feeding and deexciting the close lying levels at 1,380 and 1,381 keV. A new transition with 702.20 keV energy was detected in the 702–703 keV transition group. Internal conversion coefficients were deduced using reported gamma-ray intensities. Multipole characters of the transitions were deduced and used as a basis for a discussion of the spins and parities of the lower lying excited states of¹⁴⁶Sm.