Fri, 28 Nov 2025 RO   EN        Project List » Experimental and theoretical studies of exotic nuclei at ISOLDE Experimental and theoretical studies of exotic nuclei at ISOLDE www.nipne.ro/proiecte/pn3/24-projects.html Acronym: EXONTEX Contracting Authority: Institutul de Fizica Atomica (IFA) Number / Date of the contract: CERN-RO/CDI/2024_12 / 2024-11-25 PNCDI IV / Subprogram 5.9.2 Project Manager: Razvan LICA Partners: Starting date / finishing date: 2024-11-25 / 2026-12-31 Project value: 4.135.107 RON Abstract: The goal of the present project is the support of the Romanian participation to the ISOLDE/CERN, an experimental facility dedicated to the production of radioactive ion beams (RIB), chronologically the first installation of this kind in the world, which has proven, along the years, to be one of the most prolific from the point of view of the scientific output. The scientific focus of the group of Romanian physicists collaborating at ISOLDE is well integrated in a more general context at European level, where the study of the structure of atomic nuclei is expected to get a boost from the major investment projects in the field like FAIR in Germany, SPIRAL2 in France or, more recently, ELI-NP in Romania. There is a very good overlap between the physics that can be done at ISOLDE and the 9MV TANDEM laboratory of IFIN-HH regarding nuclear structure studies. There is also a significant gain for both sides from the two-way exchange of experimental techniques and technical solutions. The best example in this sense represents the highlight of the Romanian contribution to the facility, namely the leading role in the construction and operation of the ISOLDE Decay Station (IDS) with a large Romanian contribution in equipment, manpower and expertise. IDS is currently one of the most recent permanent setups within ISOLDE dedicated to the measurement of the decay properties of radioactive species important for nuclear structure, astrophysics and nuclear engineering. The main scientific objectives of the Romanian group collaborating at ISOLDE are the experimental investigation and theoretical understanding of exotic nuclei, which are accessible at this radioactive beam facility. The program has two distinctive parts, independent one from the other, but complementary in covering the major research direction of the facility. The experimental activity will focus on coordinating and contributing with expertise, manpower and detectors to the operation and future developments of IDS to maximize its versatility, reliability and to continue our research program through nuclear structure experiments. In addition to the IDS-related activities, our group will be involved in complementary experimental investigations within ISOLDE and contribute to the laser-assisted decay spectroscopy (VITO, CRIS), precision measurements (WISArD) and applications of nuclear techniques in solid state physics (SSP). The theoretical investigations will be focused on the comprehensive understanding of coexistence phenomena revealed by the structure and dynamics of medium mass proton-rich and neutron-rich nuclei using the beyond-mean-field complex Excited Vampir variational model and realistic effective interactions in large model spaces. We will study the multifaceted impact of shape coexistence and mixing in exotic nuclei aiming to a unitary description of the structure properties and the features of allowed and first-forbidden beta decay relevant for the astrophysical rp-process and r-process. Special effort will be devoted to refine the realistic effective interaction obtained from a G matrix based on the Bonn CD potential in large model spaces to properly account for the essential degrees of freedom in exotic medium mass nuclei. This project represents the continuation of the previous ISOLDE support project that helped to establish Romania as a reliable and active member of the ISOLDE collaboration at CERN. Objectives: The main scientific objective of the Romanian group collaborating at ISOLDE is the experimental investigation and theoretical understanding of some of the exotic nuclei, which are accessible at this radioactive beam facility. The program has two distinctive parts which could be done relatively independently one from the other, but which are complementary in covering the major research direction of the facility. These components are (1) the direct experimental activity of the Romanian group at ISOLDE complemented by the investment in experimental equipment and accumulation of experimental know-how and (2) the development of nuclear structure modelling using experimental data obtained at ISOLDE and providing also theoretical interpretation of these results. THE STAGES OF THE PROJECT AND DELIVERY DATES 1. Beta-decay spectroscopy of medical radioisotopes at the ISOLDE Decay Station and Shape coexistence and mixing in 98Y (2024-12-31) 2. Upgrades of the WISArD beta particle detection setup and Coexistence phenomena in neutron-rich nuclei within the complex Excited Vampir beyond-mean-field model (2025-12-31) 3. Commisioning of the TDPAC setup of IDS and Investigation of shape coexistence effects on the structure and dynamics of exotic medium mass nuclei (2026-12-31) RESULTS PUBLISHED ARTICLES RESEARCH TEAM Back to the Project List Versiunea proiectului in limba romana      Address: Str. Reactorului no.30, P.O.BOX MG-6, Bucharest - Magurele, ROMANIA Tel: +(4021) 404.23.00, Fax: +(4021) 457.44.40 2025 IFIN-HH. All rights reserved.