Confirmation of Parity Violation in the Gamma Decay of $^{180}Hf^{m}$

TL;DR

This study confirms parity violation in the gamma decay of $^{180}Hf^{m}$ through precise measurements of angular distribution asymmetry, reinforcing evidence for parity mixing in nuclear states with improved experimental conditions.

Contribution

The paper provides a high-precision measurement of the E2/M2 mixing ratio in $^{180}Hf^{m}$ decay, confirming previous findings with enhanced polarization and temperature range, using a novel ion implantation technique.

Findings

Confirmed the E2/M2 mixing ratio as -0.0324(16)(17).

Extended temperature range for asymmetry measurements.

Provided further evidence for parity mixing in nuclear states.

Abstract

This paper reports measurements using the technique of On Line Nuclear Orientation (OLNO) which reexamine the gamma decay of isomeric $^{\rm 180}$Hf$^{\rm m}$ and specifically the 501 keV 8$^{\rm -}$ -- 6$^{\rm +}$ transition. The irregular admixture of E2 to M2/E3 multipolarity in this transition, deduced from the forward-backward asymmetry of its angular distribution, has for decades stood as the prime evidence for parity mixing in nuclear states. The experiment, based on ion implantation of the newly developed mass-separated $^{\rm 180}$Hf$^{\rm m}$ beam at ISOLDE, CERN into an iron foil maintained at millikelvin temperatures, produces higher degrees of polarization than were achieved in previous studies of this system. The value found for the E2/M2 mixing ratio, $\epsilon$ = -0.0324(16)(17), is in close agreement with the previous published average value $\epsilon$ = - 0.030(2), in full confirmation of the presence of the irregular E2 admixture in the 501 keV transition. The temperature dependence of the forward-backward asymmetry has been measured over a more extended range of nuclear polarization than previously possible, giving further evidence for parity mixing of the 8$^{\rm -}$ and 8$^{\rm +}$ levels and the deduced E2/M2 mixing ratio.