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Title	Investigation of the $\Delta n = 0$ selection rule in Gamow-Teller transitions: The $\beta$-decay of $^{207}$Hg
Author(s)	Berry, T A (Surrey U.) ; Podolyák, Zs (Surrey U.) ; Carroll, R J (Surrey U.) ; Lică, R (CERN ; Bucharest, IFIN-HH) ; Grawe, H ; Timofeyuk, N K (Surrey U.) ; Alexander, T (Surrey U.) ; Andreyev, A N (York U., England) ; Ansari, S (Cologne U.) ; Borge, M J G (CERN ; Madrid, Inst. Estructura Materia) ; Creswell, J (Daresbury) ; Fahlander, C (Lund U.) ; Fraile, L M (UCM, Madrid, Dept. Phys.) ; Fynbo, H O U (Aarhus U.) ; Gelletly, W (Surrey U.) ; Gerst, R -B (Cologne U.) ; Górska, M (Darmstadt, GSI) ; Gredley, A (Liverpool U.) ; Greenlees, P (Jyvaskyla U.) ; Harkness-Brennan, L J (Liverpool U.) ; Huyse, M (KU Leuven, Dept. Phys. Astron.) ; Judge, S M (Teddington, Natl. Phys. Lab) ; Judson, D S (Liverpool U.) ; Konki, J (Jyvaskyla U. ; Helsinki Inst. of Phys. ; CERN) ; Kurcewicz, J (CERN) ; Kuti, I (Debrecen, Inst. Nucl. Res.) ; Lalkovski, S (Surrey U.) ; Lazarus, I (Daresbury) ; Lund, M (Aarhus U.) ; Madurga, M (CERN) ; Mărginean, N (Bucharest, IFIN-HH) ; Mărginean, R (Bucharest, IFIN-HH) ; Marroquin, I (Madrid, Inst. Estructura Materia) ; Mihai, C (Bucharest, IFIN-HH) ; Mihai, R E (Bucharest, IFIN-HH) ; Nácher, E (Madrid, Inst. Estructura Materia) ; Nae, S (Bucharest, IFIN-HH) ; Negret, A (Bucharest, IFIN-HH) ; Niţă, C (Bucharest, IFIN-HH ; Brighton U.) ; Page, R D (Liverpool U.) ; Pascu, S (Bucharest, IFIN-HH) ; Patel, Z (Surrey U.) ; Perea, A (Madrid, Inst. Estructura Materia) ; Pucknell, V (Daresbury) ; Rahkila, P (Jyvaskyla U.) ; Rapisarda, E (CERN) ; Regan, P H (Surrey U. ; Teddington, Natl. Phys. Lab) ; Rotaru, F (Bucharest, IFIN-HH) ; Shand, C M (Surrey U.) ; Simpson, E C (Australian Natl. U., Canberra) ; Sotty, Ch (Bucharest, IFIN-HH ; KU Leuven, Dept. Phys. Astron.) ; Stegemann, S (Cologne U.) ; Stora, T (CERN) ; Tengblad, O (Madrid, Inst. Estructura Materia) ; Turturica, A (Bucharest, IFIN-HH) ; Van Duppen, P (KU Leuven, Dept. Phys. Astron.) ; Vedia, V (UCM, Madrid, Dept. Phys.) ; Wadsworth, R (York U., England) ; Walker, P M (Surrey U.) ; Warr, N (Cologne U.) ; Wearing, F (Liverpool U.) ; De Witte, H (KU Leuven, Dept. Phys. Astron.)
Publication	2019
Number of pages	5
In:	Phys. Lett. B 793 (2019) 271-275
DOI	10.1016/j.physletb.2019.04.039
Subject category	Nuclear Physics - Experiment
Accelerator/Facility, Experiment	CERN ISOLDE
Abstract	Gamow-Teller $\beta$ decay is forbidden if the number of nodes in the radial wave functions of the initial and final states is different. This $\Delta n=0$ requirement plays a major role in the $\beta$ decay of heavy neutron-rich nuclei, affecting the nucleosynthesis through the increased half-lives of nuclei on the astrophysical $r$-process pathway below both $Z=50$ (for $N>82$ ) and $Z=82$ (for $N>126$). The level of forbiddenness of the $\Delta n=1\ \nu 1g_{9/2} \rightarrow \pi0g_{7/2}$ transition has been investigated from the $\beta^-$ decay of the ground state of $^{207}$Hg into the single-proton-hole nucleus $^{207}$Tl in an experiment at the ISOLDE Decay Station. From statistical observational limits on possible $\gamma$-ray transitions depopulating the $\pi 0g_{7/2}^{−1}$ state in $^{207}$Tl, an upper limit of $3.9 \times 10^{−3}$% was obtained for the probability of this decay, corresponding to log$⁡ft > 8.8$ within a 95% confidence limit. This is the most stringent test of the $\Delta n=0$ selection rule to date.
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