Speaker
Description
Low-energy Coulomb excitation is a powerful tool for studying collective properties and shape evolution in atomic nuclei. At the INFN Legnaro National Laboratories (LNL), we have been conducting a long-term experimental campaign using the SPIDER detector, an array of segmented silicon detectors specifically designed for Coulomb-excitation experiments. SPIDER has been used in combination with both the GALILEO gamma-ray spectrometer and, more recently, the AGATA gamma-tracking array.
In this talk, I will briefly introduce the SPIDER detector and provide an overview of the Coulomb-excitation measurements performed at LNL with the GALILEO and AGATA setups. I will then focus on the specific case of 94Zr, which represents our most recently completed analysis. This study marked the first application of the quadrupole sum rules method in the Zr isotopic chain and provided clear evidence of spherical-oblate shape coexistence in 94Zr. The experimental results will be discussed in the context of state-of-the-art nuclear models and quantum phase transitions.
