New Ground State in ${}^{149}$La Removes Two-Neutron-Separation-Energy Anomaly in Lanthanum Isotopes

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Main Authors: Kimura, S., Wada, M., Haba, H., Hirayama, Y., Ishiyama, H., Ito, Y., Niwase, T., Rosenbusch, M., Schury, P., Ueno, H., Watanabe, Y. X., Yamanouchi, Y.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Kimura, S.
Wada, M.
Haba, H.
Hirayama, Y.
Ishiyama, H.
Ito, Y.
Niwase, T.
Rosenbusch, M.
Schury, P.
Ueno, H.
Watanabe, Y. X.
Yamanouchi, Y.
author_facet Kimura, S.
Wada, M.
Haba, H.
Hirayama, Y.
Ishiyama, H.
Ito, Y.
Niwase, T.
Rosenbusch, M.
Schury, P.
Ueno, H.
Watanabe, Y. X.
Yamanouchi, Y.
contents Nuclear mass is a key indicator of how the nuclear shell structure evolves. The recent mass measurement study of neutron-rich lanthanum isotopes [A. Jaries, $et~al$., Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 134}, 042501(2025)] reveals the presence of a distinct prominence in their two-neutron separation energies. However, its presence has been called into question based on the results of another mass determination [B. Liu, Ph.D. thesis, University of Notre Dame (2025)]. In this letter, we report an effort to clarify these contradictory results through the use of the simultaneous mass-lifetime measurement of the neutron-rich lanthanum isotope ${}^{149}$La using a multi-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrograph combined with a $β$-TOF detector. The peak corresponding to a $β$-decaying state was observed in the time-of-flight spectra at a position of $221(6)~{\rm keV/c^2}$ lighter than the reported ${}^{149}$La mass in A. Jaries, $et~al$., but our measured result is in excellent agreement with the mass value reported in B. Liu. We have concluded that this peak is the ground state of ${}^{149}$La. With this, the previously reported distinct prominence in the two-neutron separation energies disappears, while a new kink structure, similar to that in the cerium isotopes, appears. Comparison with theoretical models suggests that a nuclear shape transition from octupole deformation to another type of deformation occurs around $N=91$ and is likely the cause of this kink structure.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_11033
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle New Ground State in ${}^{149}$La Removes Two-Neutron-Separation-Energy Anomaly in Lanthanum Isotopes
Kimura, S.
Wada, M.
Haba, H.
Hirayama, Y.
Ishiyama, H.
Ito, Y.
Niwase, T.
Rosenbusch, M.
Schury, P.
Ueno, H.
Watanabe, Y. X.
Yamanouchi, Y.
Nuclear Experiment
Nuclear mass is a key indicator of how the nuclear shell structure evolves. The recent mass measurement study of neutron-rich lanthanum isotopes [A. Jaries, $et~al$., Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 134}, 042501(2025)] reveals the presence of a distinct prominence in their two-neutron separation energies. However, its presence has been called into question based on the results of another mass determination [B. Liu, Ph.D. thesis, University of Notre Dame (2025)]. In this letter, we report an effort to clarify these contradictory results through the use of the simultaneous mass-lifetime measurement of the neutron-rich lanthanum isotope ${}^{149}$La using a multi-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrograph combined with a $β$-TOF detector. The peak corresponding to a $β$-decaying state was observed in the time-of-flight spectra at a position of $221(6)~{\rm keV/c^2}$ lighter than the reported ${}^{149}$La mass in A. Jaries, $et~al$., but our measured result is in excellent agreement with the mass value reported in B. Liu. We have concluded that this peak is the ground state of ${}^{149}$La. With this, the previously reported distinct prominence in the two-neutron separation energies disappears, while a new kink structure, similar to that in the cerium isotopes, appears. Comparison with theoretical models suggests that a nuclear shape transition from octupole deformation to another type of deformation occurs around $N=91$ and is likely the cause of this kink structure.
title New Ground State in ${}^{149}$La Removes Two-Neutron-Separation-Energy Anomaly in Lanthanum Isotopes
topic Nuclear Experiment
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.11033