Nuclear alinement of manganese-56

Abstract

The present work demonstrates the feasibility of alining manganese-56 produced by neutron irradiation of a nickel fluosilicate crystal containing stable 55 Mn. Measurements were made of the angular distribution of the γ-radiation from the alined 56 Mn and also of the angular correlation of the γ-rays from this isotope. By combining the results it is possible to establish uniquely as 2 the spins of the states of the daughter nucleus of 56 Fe at 2.66 and 2.98 MeV. The mixing ratios δ ( E 2/ M 1) for the 1.81 and 2.13 MeV γ-rays to the first excited state are shown to be 0.19 ± 0.02 and — 0.28 ± 0.02. The spectrum of the γ-radiation was studied with a scintillation spectrometer and this leads to the following relative intensities; 0.845 MeV (100%), 1.81 MeV (27 ± 3%), 2.13 MeV (15 ± 3%), 2.55 MeV (1.2 ± 0.2%), 2.66 MeV (0.65 ± 0.1%), 2.98 MeV (0.35 ± 0.1%) and 3.4 MeV (0.22 ± 0.05%). Coincidence measurements suggest that the 2.55 and 3.4 MeV γ-rays are due to de-excitation of a level at about 3.4 MeV which decays both to the ground and first excited states. A spin of 2 for this state is proposed.