Beta-Decay Half-Lives beyond Ca54: A Systematic Survey of Decay Properties Approaching the Neutron Dripline

W. J. Ong; Z. Y. Xu; R. Grzywacz; A. Ravlić; I. Cox; J. M. Allmond; T. T. King; B. C. Rasco; K. P. Rykaczewski; H. Schatz; B. M. Sherrill; O. B. Tarasov; B. A. Brown; S. Ajayi; H. Arora; A. D. Ayangeakaa; H. C. Berg; J. M. Berkman; D. L. Bleuel; K. Bosmpotinis; M. P. Carpenter; G. Cerizza; A. Chester; J. M. Christie; H. L. Crawford; B. P. Crider; J. Davis; A. A. Doetsch; J. G. Duarte; A. Estrade; A. Fijalkowska; C. Frantzis; K. Fukushima; T. Gaballah; T. J. Gray; E. Good; K. Haak; S. Hanai; A. C. Hartley; J. T. Harke; K. Hermansen; C. Harris; M. Hausmann; D. E.M. Hoff; D. Hoskins; J. Huffman; R. Jain; M. Karny; N. Kitamura; K. Kolos; E. Kwan; A. Laminack; S. N. Liddick; B. Longfellow; R. S. Lubna; S. Lyons; M. Madurga; M. Mogannam; S. Neupane; A. Nowicki; T. H. Ogunbeku; G. Owens-Fryar; J. R. Palomino; M. Portillo; M. M. Rajabali; A. L. Richard; I. Richardson; E. Ronning; G. E. Rose; T. Ruland; N. D. Scielzo; D. P. Scriven; D. Seweryniak; K. Siegl; M. Singh; M. K. Smith; A. Spyrou; M. Stepaniuk; A. Sweet; V. Tripathi; A. Tsantiri; S. Uthayakumaar; W. B. Walters; S. Watters; M. Wolinska-Cichocka; R. Yokoyama

doi:10.1103/5yrq-s3g5

Beta-Decay Half-Lives beyond Ca54: A Systematic Survey of Decay Properties Approaching the Neutron Dripline

W. J. Ong
, Z. Y. Xu
, R. Grzywacz
, A. Ravlić
, I. Cox
, J. M. Allmond
, T. T. King
, B. C. Rasco
, K. P. Rykaczewski
, H. Schatz
, B. M. Sherrill
, O. B. Tarasov
, B. A. Brown
, S. Ajayi
, H. Arora
, A. D. Ayangeakaa
, H. C. Berg
, J. M. Berkman
, D. L. Bleuel
, K. Bosmpotinis

M. P. Carpenter, G. Cerizza, A. Chester, J. M. Christie, H. L. Crawford, B. P. Crider, J. Davis, A. A. Doetsch, J. G. Duarte, A. Estrade, A. Fijalkowska, C. Frantzis, K. Fukushima, T. Gaballah, T. J. Gray, E. Good, K. Haak, S. Hanai, A. C. Hartley, J. T. Harke, K. Hermansen, C. Harris, M. Hausmann, D. E.M. Hoff, D. Hoskins, J. Huffman, R. Jain, M. Karny, N. Kitamura, K. Kolos, E. Kwan, A. Laminack, S. N. Liddick, B. Longfellow, R. S. Lubna, S. Lyons, M. Madurga, M. Mogannam, S. Neupane, A. Nowicki, T. H. Ogunbeku, G. Owens-Fryar, J. R. Palomino, M. Portillo, M. M. Rajabali, A. L. Richard, I. Richardson, E. Ronning, G. E. Rose, T. Ruland, N. D. Scielzo, D. P. Scriven, D. Seweryniak, K. Siegl, M. Singh, M. K. Smith, A. Spyrou, M. Stepaniuk, A. Sweet, V. Tripathi, A. Tsantiri, S. Uthayakumaar, W. B. Walters, S. Watters, M. Wolinska-Cichocka, R. Yokoyama

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

In an experiment performed at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) using the FRIB Decay Station initiator, 15 new half-lives of isotopes near Ca54 were measured. A new method of extracting lifetimes from experimental data, taking into account the unknown β-delayed neutron emission branches of very neutron-rich nuclei, was developed to enable systematic uncertainty analysis. The experiment observed a dramatic change in the half-life systematics for the isotopes with neutron number N=34. Beyond N=34, the decline of nuclear lifetime is much slower, leading to longer than anticipated lifetimes for near-dripline nuclei. State-of-the-art shell-model calculations can explain the experimental results, revealing the imprint of shell effects and the need for modification of single-particle neutron states. The results from a newly developed quasirandom-phase approximation model with potential for making global predictions were also tested against the experimental results and good agreement was found.

Original language	English
Article number	092502
Journal	Physical Review Letters
Volume	136
Issue number	9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/5yrq-s3g5
State	Published - Mar 6 2026

Funding

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Nuclear Physics, and used resources of the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) Operations, which is a DOE Office of Science User Facility under Award No. DE-SC0023633. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract No. DE-AC52-07NA27344 (LLNL). It was also supported by: the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Nuclear Physics, under Contracts No. DE-AC02-06CH11357 (ANL), No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 (ORNL) and Grants No. DE-FG02-96ER40983 (UTK), No. DE-FG02-94ER40834 (Maryland), and No. DE-SC0016988 (TTU); the U.S. National Science Foundation under Grants No. PHY-23-10078, No. PHY-2209429, No. PHY-2110365; the National Nuclear Security Administration under Award No. DE-NA0003180 and the Stewardship Science Academic Alliances program through DOE Awards No. DOE-DE-NA0003906, No. DOE-DE-NA0004068, and No. DOE-DE-NA0004074, No. DOE-DE-NA0004245; the National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation Program Award No. 1919735 (UTK, TTU); the Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory operated by Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy; the Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (Grant No. 23-LW-25); the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI) under Grant No. 22K14053.

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Ong, W. J., Xu, Z. Y., Grzywacz, R., Ravlić, A., Cox, I., Allmond, J. M., King, T. T., Rasco, B. C., Rykaczewski, K. P., Schatz, H., Sherrill, B. M., Tarasov, O. B., Brown, B. A., Ajayi, S., Arora, H., Ayangeakaa, A. D., Berg, H. C., Berkman, J. M., Bleuel, D. L., ... Yokoyama, R. (2026). Beta-Decay Half-Lives beyond Ca54: A Systematic Survey of Decay Properties Approaching the Neutron Dripline. Physical Review Letters, 136(9), Article 092502. https://doi.org/10.1103/5yrq-s3g5

@article{96c67195d9eb452fba4170ef4f31b17a,

title = "Beta-Decay Half-Lives beyond Ca54: A Systematic Survey of Decay Properties Approaching the Neutron Dripline",

abstract = "In an experiment performed at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) using the FRIB Decay Station initiator, 15 new half-lives of isotopes near Ca54 were measured. A new method of extracting lifetimes from experimental data, taking into account the unknown β-delayed neutron emission branches of very neutron-rich nuclei, was developed to enable systematic uncertainty analysis. The experiment observed a dramatic change in the half-life systematics for the isotopes with neutron number N=34. Beyond N=34, the decline of nuclear lifetime is much slower, leading to longer than anticipated lifetimes for near-dripline nuclei. State-of-the-art shell-model calculations can explain the experimental results, revealing the imprint of shell effects and the need for modification of single-particle neutron states. The results from a newly developed quasirandom-phase approximation model with potential for making global predictions were also tested against the experimental results and good agreement was found.",

author = "Ong, \{W. J.\} and Xu, \{Z. Y.\} and R. Grzywacz and A. Ravli{\'c} and I. Cox and Allmond, \{J. M.\} and King, \{T. T.\} and Rasco, \{B. C.\} and Rykaczewski, \{K. P.\} and H. Schatz and Sherrill, \{B. M.\} and Tarasov, \{O. B.\} and Brown, \{B. A.\} and S. Ajayi and H. Arora and Ayangeakaa, \{A. D.\} and Berg, \{H. C.\} and Berkman, \{J. M.\} and Bleuel, \{D. L.\} and K. Bosmpotinis and Carpenter, \{M. P.\} and G. Cerizza and A. Chester and Christie, \{J. M.\} and Crawford, \{H. L.\} and Crider, \{B. P.\} and J. Davis and Doetsch, \{A. A.\} and Duarte, \{J. G.\} and A. Estrade and A. Fijalkowska and C. Frantzis and K. Fukushima and T. Gaballah and Gray, \{T. J.\} and E. Good and K. Haak and S. Hanai and Hartley, \{A. C.\} and Harke, \{J. T.\} and K. Hermansen and C. Harris and M. Hausmann and Hoff, \{D. E.M.\} and D. Hoskins and J. Huffman and R. Jain and M. Karny and N. Kitamura and K. Kolos and E. Kwan and A. Laminack and Liddick, \{S. N.\} and B. Longfellow and Lubna, \{R. S.\} and S. Lyons and M. Madurga and M. Mogannam and S. Neupane and A. Nowicki and Ogunbeku, \{T. H.\} and G. Owens-Fryar and Palomino, \{J. R.\} and M. Portillo and Rajabali, \{M. M.\} and Richard, \{A. L.\} and I. Richardson and E. Ronning and Rose, \{G. E.\} and T. Ruland and Scielzo, \{N. D.\} and Scriven, \{D. P.\} and D. Seweryniak and K. Siegl and M. Singh and Smith, \{M. K.\} and A. Spyrou and M. Stepaniuk and A. Sweet and V. Tripathi and A. Tsantiri and S. Uthayakumaar and Walters, \{W. B.\} and S. Watters and M. Wolinska-Cichocka and R. Yokoyama",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2026 American Physical Society.",

year = "2026",

month = mar,

day = "6",

doi = "10.1103/5yrq-s3g5",

language = "English",

volume = "136",

journal = "Physical Review Letters",

issn = "0031-9007",

publisher = "American Physical Society",

number = "9",

}

Ong, WJ, Xu, ZY, Grzywacz, R, Ravlić, A, Cox, I, Allmond, JM , King, TT, Rasco, BC, Rykaczewski, KP, Schatz, H, Sherrill, BM, Tarasov, OB, Brown, BA, Ajayi, S, Arora, H, Ayangeakaa, AD, Berg, HC, Berkman, JM, Bleuel, DL, Bosmpotinis, K, Carpenter, MP, Cerizza, G, Chester, A, Christie, JM, Crawford, HL, Crider, BP, Davis, J, Doetsch, AA, Duarte, JG, Estrade, A, Fijalkowska, A, Frantzis, C, Fukushima, K, Gaballah, T, Gray, TJ, Good, E, Haak, K, Hanai, S, Hartley, AC, Harke, JT, Hermansen, K, Harris, C, Hausmann, M, Hoff, DEM, Hoskins, D, Huffman, J, Jain, R, Karny, M, Kitamura, N, Kolos, K, Kwan, E, Laminack, A, Liddick, SN, Longfellow, B, Lubna, RS, Lyons, S, Madurga, M, Mogannam, M, Neupane, S, Nowicki, A, Ogunbeku, TH, Owens-Fryar, G, Palomino, JR, Portillo, M, Rajabali, MM, Richard, AL, Richardson, I, Ronning, E, Rose, GE, Ruland, T, Scielzo, ND, Scriven, DP, Seweryniak, D, Siegl, K, Singh, M, Smith, MK, Spyrou, A, Stepaniuk, M, Sweet, A, Tripathi, V, Tsantiri, A, Uthayakumaar, S, Walters, WB, Watters, S, Wolinska-Cichocka, M & Yokoyama, R 2026, 'Beta-Decay Half-Lives beyond Ca54: A Systematic Survey of Decay Properties Approaching the Neutron Dripline', Physical Review Letters, vol. 136, no. 9, 092502. https://doi.org/10.1103/5yrq-s3g5

TY - JOUR

T1 - Beta-Decay Half-Lives beyond Ca54

T2 - A Systematic Survey of Decay Properties Approaching the Neutron Dripline

AU - Ong, W. J.

AU - Xu, Z. Y.

AU - Grzywacz, R.

AU - Ravlić, A.

AU - Cox, I.

AU - Allmond, J. M.

AU - King, T. T.

AU - Rasco, B. C.

AU - Rykaczewski, K. P.

AU - Schatz, H.

AU - Sherrill, B. M.

AU - Tarasov, O. B.

AU - Brown, B. A.

AU - Ajayi, S.

AU - Arora, H.

AU - Ayangeakaa, A. D.

AU - Berg, H. C.

AU - Berkman, J. M.

AU - Bleuel, D. L.

AU - Bosmpotinis, K.

AU - Carpenter, M. P.

AU - Cerizza, G.

AU - Chester, A.

AU - Christie, J. M.

AU - Crawford, H. L.

AU - Crider, B. P.

AU - Davis, J.

AU - Doetsch, A. A.

AU - Duarte, J. G.

AU - Estrade, A.

AU - Fijalkowska, A.

AU - Frantzis, C.

AU - Fukushima, K.

AU - Gaballah, T.

AU - Gray, T. J.

AU - Good, E.

AU - Haak, K.

AU - Hanai, S.

AU - Hartley, A. C.

AU - Harke, J. T.

AU - Hermansen, K.

AU - Harris, C.

AU - Hausmann, M.

AU - Hoff, D. E.M.

AU - Hoskins, D.

AU - Huffman, J.

AU - Jain, R.

AU - Karny, M.

AU - Kitamura, N.

AU - Kolos, K.

AU - Kwan, E.

AU - Laminack, A.

AU - Liddick, S. N.

AU - Longfellow, B.

AU - Lubna, R. S.

AU - Lyons, S.

AU - Madurga, M.

AU - Mogannam, M.

AU - Neupane, S.

AU - Nowicki, A.

AU - Ogunbeku, T. H.

AU - Owens-Fryar, G.

AU - Palomino, J. R.

AU - Portillo, M.

AU - Rajabali, M. M.

AU - Richard, A. L.

AU - Richardson, I.

AU - Ronning, E.

AU - Rose, G. E.

AU - Ruland, T.

AU - Scielzo, N. D.

AU - Scriven, D. P.

AU - Seweryniak, D.

AU - Siegl, K.

AU - Singh, M.

AU - Smith, M. K.

AU - Spyrou, A.

AU - Stepaniuk, M.

AU - Sweet, A.

AU - Tripathi, V.

AU - Tsantiri, A.

AU - Uthayakumaar, S.

AU - Walters, W. B.

AU - Watters, S.

AU - Wolinska-Cichocka, M.

AU - Yokoyama, R.

PY - 2026/3/6

Y1 - 2026/3/6

N2 - In an experiment performed at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) using the FRIB Decay Station initiator, 15 new half-lives of isotopes near Ca54 were measured. A new method of extracting lifetimes from experimental data, taking into account the unknown β-delayed neutron emission branches of very neutron-rich nuclei, was developed to enable systematic uncertainty analysis. The experiment observed a dramatic change in the half-life systematics for the isotopes with neutron number N=34. Beyond N=34, the decline of nuclear lifetime is much slower, leading to longer than anticipated lifetimes for near-dripline nuclei. State-of-the-art shell-model calculations can explain the experimental results, revealing the imprint of shell effects and the need for modification of single-particle neutron states. The results from a newly developed quasirandom-phase approximation model with potential for making global predictions were also tested against the experimental results and good agreement was found.

AB - In an experiment performed at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) using the FRIB Decay Station initiator, 15 new half-lives of isotopes near Ca54 were measured. A new method of extracting lifetimes from experimental data, taking into account the unknown β-delayed neutron emission branches of very neutron-rich nuclei, was developed to enable systematic uncertainty analysis. The experiment observed a dramatic change in the half-life systematics for the isotopes with neutron number N=34. Beyond N=34, the decline of nuclear lifetime is much slower, leading to longer than anticipated lifetimes for near-dripline nuclei. State-of-the-art shell-model calculations can explain the experimental results, revealing the imprint of shell effects and the need for modification of single-particle neutron states. The results from a newly developed quasirandom-phase approximation model with potential for making global predictions were also tested against the experimental results and good agreement was found.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105032376007

U2 - 10.1103/5yrq-s3g5

DO - 10.1103/5yrq-s3g5

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105032376007

SN - 0031-9007

VL - 136

JO - Physical Review Letters

JF - Physical Review Letters

IS - 9

M1 - 092502

ER -

Beta-Decay Half-Lives beyond Ca54: A Systematic Survey of Decay Properties Approaching the Neutron Dripline

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