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1. The $$^{12}$$C$$(\alpha ,\gamma )^{16}$$O reaction, in the laboratory and in the stars

   https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/s10050-025-01537-1  

   de_Boer, R J; Best, A; Brune, C R; Chieffi, A; Hebborn, C; Imbriani, G; Liu, W P; Shen, Y P; Timmes, F X; Wiescher, M (April 2025, The European Physical Journal A)

   Abstract The evolutionary path of massive stars begins at helium burning. Energy production for this phase of stellar evolution is dominated by the reaction path 3$$\alpha \rightarrow ^{12}$$ $\alpha {\to }^{12}$C$$(\alpha ,\gamma )^{16}$$ ${(\alpha ,\gamma )}^{16}$O and also determines the ratio of$$^{12}$$ $_{}^{12}$C/$$^{16}$$ $_{}^{16}$O in the stellar core. This ratio then sets the evolutionary trajectory as the star evolves towards a white dwarf, neutron star or black hole. Although the reaction rate of the 3$$\alpha $$ $\alpha$process is relatively well known, since it proceeds mainly through a single narrow resonance in$$^{12}$$ $_{}^{12}$C, that of the$$^{12}$$ $_{}^{12}$C$$(\alpha ,\gamma )^{16}$$ ${(\alpha ,\gamma )}^{16}$O reaction remains uncertain since it is the result of a more difficult to pin down, slowly-varying, portion of the cross section over a strong interference region between the high-energy tails of subthreshold resonances, the low-energy tails of higher-energy broad resonances and direct capture. Experimental measurements of this cross section require herculean efforts, since even at higher energies the cross section remains small and large background sources are often present that require the use of very sensitive experimental methods. Since the$$^{12}$$ $_{}^{12}$C$$(\alpha ,\gamma )^{16}$$ ${(\alpha ,\gamma )}^{16}$O reaction has such a strong influence on many different stellar objects, it is also interesting to try to back calculate the required rate needed to match astrophysical observations. This has become increasingly tempting, as the accuracy and precision of observational data has been steadily improving. Yet, the pitfall to this approach lies in the intermediary steps of modeling, where other uncertainties needed to model a star’s internal behavior remain highly uncertain. 

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2. Spectroscopic investigation of $$^{54}$$Cr via $$\alpha $$-transfer reaction

   https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/s10050-025-01619-0  

   Das, Biswajit; Kundu, A; Palit, R; Dey, P; Malik, Vishal; Garg, U; Negi, D; Laskar, S R; Santra, Rajkumar; Jadhav, S K; et al (June 2025, The European Physical Journal A)

   Abstract Low-lying states in$$^{54}$$ $_{}^{54}$Cr have been investigated via the$$\alpha $$ $\alpha$-transfer reaction$$^{50}$$ $_{}^{50}$Ti($$^{7}$$ $_{}^7$Li,t) at a bombarding energy of 20 MeV. The exclusive$$\alpha $$ $\alpha$-transfer channel is separated from other reaction channels through the appropriate energy gate on the complementary particle, triton. Levels of$$^{54}$$ $_{}^{54}$Cr populated exclusively by the$$\alpha $$ $\alpha$-transfer process could be identified up to$$\approx $$ $\approx$5 MeV excitation energy and angular momentum up to$$(8)^{+}$$ ${\left(8\right)}^{+}$, by identifying the corresponding known$$\gamma $$ $\gamma$-rays. These include multiple low-lying non-yrast 2$$^+$$ $_{}^{+}$and 4$$^+$$ $_{}^{+}$states, which would otherwise be unfavorable via fusion evaporation reactions. The feeding-subtracted$$\gamma $$ $\gamma$-ray yields have been extracted to estimate the population of various excited states through the transfer process. The measured integrated transfer cross sections for all the observed yrast and non-yrast states are compared with Coupled Channels calculations usingfrescoto extract the$$\alpha $$ $\alpha$+$$^{50}$$ $_{}^{50}$Ti core spectroscopic factors. For the yrast states, a higher$$\alpha $$ $\alpha$+core overlap is seen for the$$2^+$$ $2^{+}$and$$4^+$$ $4^{+}$states, while it is seen to be less favorable for the$$6^+$$ $6^{+}$and$$(8)^+$$ ${\left(8\right)}^{+}$states when$$\alpha $$ $\alpha$-transfer is considered to occur predominantly as a direct one-step process to the$$^{50}$$ $_{}^{50}$Ti core ground state. The yrast$$2^+$$ $2^{+}$, and$$4^+$$ $4^{+}$states are predominantly populated by single-step transfer, while for the states with spin$$\ge $$ $\ge$5, the possibility of core excitation followed by$$\alpha $$ $\alpha$-transfer shows a larger$$\alpha $$ $\alpha$-core overlap. For the non-yrast$$0^+$$ $0^{+}$,$$2^+$$ $2^{+}$, and$$4^+$$ $4^{+}$states, single-step transfer shows moderate to small$$\alpha $$ $\alpha$-core overlap. No higher spin non-yrast states are observed. 

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3. Lifetimes of low-lying levels in $$^{158}$$Gd

   https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/s10050-026-01784-w  

   Lesher, S R; Aprahamian, A; Lee, K; Fransen, C; McEwan, L; Meier, M M; Stratman, A; Warr, N; Yates, S W (January 2026, The European Physical Journal A)

   Abstract The low-lying structure of the well-deformed nucleus$$^{158}$$ $_{}^{158}$Gd has been revisited to elucidate the nature of the low-lying states in$$^{158}$$ $_{}^{158}$Gd. Earlier (p, t) studies identified numerous 0$$^+$$ $_{}^{+}$states below 4.3 MeV, prompting questions about whether these states correspond to collective vibrations or shape coexistence. New and previously reported ($$n,n^\prime \gamma $$ $n,n^{\prime }\gamma$) measurements are combined, including$$\gamma $$ $\gamma$-$$\gamma $$ $\gamma$coincidences, excitation functions, and angular distributions, to extract lifetimes and transition probabilities for 44 excited states up to 2.7 MeV, including 32 previously unmeasured levels. Our results confirm or revise$$\gamma $$ $\gamma$-ray placements and provide detailed transition strengths, revealing both weakly collective and strongly enhanced B(E2) and B(E1) transition probabilities. In particular, a tentative 0$$^+$$ $_{}^{+}$state at 2437.8 keV exhibits a strong interband B(E2) transition, which may be a candidate for a possible two-phonon ($$\beta \beta $$ $\beta \beta$) excitation. Systematic comparisons with neighboring Gd isotopes, Hartree–Fock–Bogoliubov, and interacting-boson model predictions suggest that the first excited 0$$^+$$ $_{}^{+}$state in$$^{158}$$ $_{}^{158}$Gd is predicted to be a$$\beta $$ $\beta$-vibration, although it is weakly collective. We also present results for lifetimes and transition probabilities for a number of negative parity states, including$$\hbox {K}^{\pi }=0^-,1^-,2^-$$ ${\text{K}}^{\pi }=0^{-},1^{-},2^{-}$sequences, perhaps providing insight into octupole collectivity and the interplay between quadrupole and octupole vibrations in deformed nuclei. The systematic presence of low-lying negative-parity bands and their interband transition strengths suggest that$$^{158}$$ $_{}^{158}$Gd’s potential energy surface may support both quadrupole and octupole vibrational modes, in agreement with microscopic calculations [1–3]. 

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4. Lifetimes of negative parity states in $$^{162}$$Dy

   https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/s10050-026-01806-7  

   Aprahamian, A; Lesher, S R; Casarella, C; Lee, K; Crider, B P; Lowe, M; Meier, M M; Peters, E E; Prados-Estévez, F M; Ross, T J; et al (April 2026, The European Physical Journal A)

   Abstract Lifetimes of excited states in$$^{162}$$ $_{}^{162}$Dy were measured using the (n,n’$$\gamma $$ $\gamma$) reaction with the Doppler-Shift Attenuation Method (DSAM) at the University of Kentucky’s Accelerator Laboratory. A total of eighteen level lifetimes were obtained, including eleven negative-parity states, seven of which are new. These measurements significantly expand the experimental database of transition probabilities for negative-parity bands in the well-deformed rare earth region of nuclei. The extracted B(E1) and B(E2) values reveal enhanced interband E1 ($$10^{-3}$$ ${10}^{-3}$or$$10^{-4}$$ ${10}^{-4}$) W.u. and E2 strengths (several W.u.) between negative- and positive parity bands, particularly for the KEquation missing<#comment/>bands decaying to the the K$$^{\pi }=2^+_{\gamma }$$ $_{}^{\pi }=2_{\gamma }^{+}$band, consistent with signatures of octupole-quadrupole coupling. In contrast, the K$$^{\pi }=0^-_1$$ $_{}^{\pi }=0_1^{-}$and K$$^{\pi }=1^-_3$$ $_{}^{\pi }=1_3^{-}$bands, which exhibit strong E1 transitions to the ground state band, are indicative of octupole-vibrational excitations built on the deformed ground state. Comparison of transition rates with Alaga rules supports this interpretation and distinguishes collective excitations from likely quasi-particle states. These new results establish$$^{162}$$ $_{}^{162}$Dy as the most extensively characterized rare-earth nucleus for negative parity lifetimes and provide critical experimental benchmarks for theoretical models. 

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5. Measurement of the inclusive isolated-photon production cross section in pp and Pb–Pb collisions at $$\mathbf {\sqrt{\textit{s}_{NN }} = 5.02}$$ TeV

   https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-025-13971-y  

   Acharya, S; Agarwal, A; Rinella, G Aglieri; Aglietta, L; Agnello, M; Agrawal, N; Ahammed, Z; Ahmad, S; Ahn, S U; Ahuja, I; et al (May 2025, The European Physical Journal C)

   Abstract The ALICE Collaboration at the CERN LHC has measured the inclusive production cross section of isolated photons at midrapidity as a function of the photon transverse momentum ($$p_{\textrm{T}}^{\gamma }$$ $p_{\text{T}}^{\gamma }$), in Pb–Pb collisions in different centrality intervals, and in pp collisions, at centre-of-momentum energy per nucleon pair of$$\sqrt{s_{\textrm{NN}}}~=~5.02$$ $\sqrt{s_{\text{NN}}}=5.02$ TeV. The photon transverse momentum range is between 10–14 and 40–140 GeV/$$c$$ $c$, depending on the collision system and on the Pb–Pb centrality class. The result extends to lower$$p_{\textrm{T}}^{\gamma }$$ $p_{\text{T}}^{\gamma }$than previously published results by the ATLAS and CMS experiments at the same collision energy. The covered pseudorapidity range is$$|\eta ^{\gamma } | <0.67$$ $|{\eta }^{\gamma }|<0.67$. The isolation selection is based on a charged particle isolation momentum threshold$$p_{\textrm{T}}^\mathrm{iso,~ch} = 1.5$$ $p_{\text{T}}^{\mathrm{iso},\mathrm{ch}}=1.5$ GeV/$$c$$ $c$within a cone of radii$$R=0.2$$ $R=0.2$and 0.4. The nuclear modification factor is calculated and found to be consistent with unity in all centrality classes, and also consistent with the HG-PYTHIA model, which describes the event selection and geometry biases that affect the centrality determination in peripheral Pb–Pb collisions. The measurement is compared to next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculations and to the measurements of isolated photons and Z$$^{0}$$ $_{}^0$bosons from the CMS experiment, which are all found to be in agreement. 

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