The shape of a nucleus can be defined in a classical view by a sphere of constant density of
positive space-charge in a body-fixed frame of reference.
Experimental observations can be interpreted as deviations from spherical symmetry of the
nucleus. Static shapes of nuclei in the periodic table near the valley of stability predominantly
are rotationally symmetric and mostly quadrupole deformed (American football or
lens). For nuclei in time-dependent excited states asymmetric terms are known, like octupole
deformation (pear shape).
The group of actinides lies in a transition region with possible "static octupole deformation".
For a fixed proton number (Z = 91) the impact of changing octupole correlations with neutron
number on the configuration of 31Pa and 229Pa was analysed in the present work.
A detector optimized for the reaction 231Pa(22 MeV p,t)229Pa at the Munich Universities
tandem accelerator laboratory gave experimental clues of the 229Pa ground-state energy.
A detailed study of231Pa by Coulomb-excitation with 148 MeV 32S und 255, 260, 261 MeV
58Ni projectiles can answer open questions on octupole correlations and determines a multitude
of transition matrix elements as well as their global parameters in an enlarged level
scheme.
A segmented coincidence detector for backscattered particles with read-out electronics and
software for high resolution, combined with Compton-suppressed and background-reduced-gamma
spectroscopy following Coulomb-excitation was developed for the NORDBALL gamma-spectrometer
of the Niels Bohr Institute Tandem Accelerator Laboratory, Risø (Denmark). An optional extension
of the detector system, built by the University of Warsaw (Poland), can be integrated.
For some experiments a Si-detector of the College of Industrial Technology Amagasaki (Japan)
was used.
The 1/2[530] ground-state band 231Pa could be followed up to spin 39/2-, the 1/2[400]+1/2[660]
parity-partner band up to 23/2+ and the 3/2[651] side band up to 37/2+.
The simulation of Coulomb-excitation with the code GOSIA helped to fit the parameters
of a model system consisting of three bands with 47 levels and interconnecting 672 matrix
elements of E1, E2, E3, E4 and M1 transitions to experimental data within chi^2/n=1. As far as
possible the calculation remained model-independent and led to values for model parameters
of multipole moments and deformation. The determination of signs of matrix elements is
discussed. Different methods of error analysis were used.
The results were related to the experimental known properties of neighbouring nuclei. A
comparison of the results with calculations by the Charles University, Prague (Czech Republic)
in the one-quasiparticle-plus-phonon model with Coriolis-coupling is given.