Gamma-ray spectroscopy of neutron-rich zirconium

This project fits into ongoing research of nuclear structure being conducted worldwide. Previous work suggests that up to 7000 isotopes can exist in nature. However, only around half of these isotopes have been produced, and in many cases additional study is required to understand their properties. In particular, the characteristics of neutron rich nuclei require further research.
The aim of the PhD is to address the knowledge gap of the properties of neutron rich nuclei contributing to improve our understanding of nuclear structure in general. This PhD in particular will look into neutron rich nuclei in the A 100 region. This specific region is of interest because of the drastic shape changes that have been observed for nuclei with 60 [1]. The objective of the PhD is to experimentally measure the shape of these nuclei and compare with theoretical predictions. This will provide a test to current nuclea models and an opportunity to refne them.