Abstract
The synthesis of Coulomb excitation and β decay offers very practical advantages in the study of nuclear shapes and collectivity. For instance, Coulomb excitation is unique in its ability to measure the electric quadrupole moments, i.e., ⟨I2π||M(E2)||I1π⟩ matrix elements, of excited, non-isomeric states in atomic nuclei, providing information on the intrinsic shape. However, the Coulomb excitation analysis and structural inter- pretation can be strongly dependent upon weak transitions or decay branches, which are often obscured by the Compton background. Transitions of particular interest are those low in energy and weak in intensity due to the Eγ5 attenuation factor. These weak decay branches can often be determined with high precision from β-decay studies. Recently, 106Mo and 110Cd were studied by both Coulomb excitation and β decay. Preliminary results of new weak decay branches following β decay of 110mAg to 110Cd are presented; these results will challenge competing interpretations based on vibrations and configuration mixing.
