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Weak nuclear interactions in Neon-18 and Neon-21

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:5467048
Measurements are described of the circular polarization of 2.789 MeV gamma rays associated with the 2.789/2.796 MeV parity mixed doublet in /sup 21/Ne. Also reported are measurements of the 0+ -- 0-beta decay from /sup 18/Ne to the 1.081 MeV 0-state of /sup 18/F, itself part of a spin-zero doublet of considerable interest for parity mixing. The significance of the results to the theory of weak non-leptonic interactions is examined. An argument is repeated that more careful interpretation of the results in terms of the fundamental weak interaction is needed. The circular polarization of the 2.789 MeV radiation from /sup 21/Ne is (20 /sup +/- 26) x 10-/sup 4/, a small result in view of the enhancement of this effect due to narrow doublet separation and the forbidden character of the transition. Simultaneous measurements of the circular polarization of 2.439 MeV radiation, which should not exhibit the parity violating effect even if the 1/2-(2.789 MeV) state contains a significant parity impurity, indicate an absence of bias in the measurements. The relative probability of the 0+ -- 0- (1.081 MeV) decay from /sup 18/Ne is (2.26 /sup + -/ .37) x 10-/sup 4/. The two-body (or meson exchange) contribution to this transition is the isospin analog of parity mixing between the 1042-keV (J/sup ..pi../; T = 0+;1) and 1081-keV (J/sup ..pi../; T = 0-;0) states of /sup 18/F.
Research Organization:
Washington Univ., Seattle (USA)
OSTI ID:
5467048
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English