title: First direct observation of two protons in the decay of 45Fe with a time-projection chamber.
abstract: The decay of the ground-state two-proton emitter 45Fe was studied with a time-projection chamber and the emission of two protons was unambiguously identified. The total decay energy and the half-life measured in this work agree with the results from previous experiments. The present result constitutes the first direct observation of the individual protons in the two-proton decay of a long-lived ground-state emitter. In parallel, we identified for the first time directly two-proton emission from 43Cr, a known beta-delayed two-proton emitter. The technique developed in the present work opens the way to a detailed study of the mechanism of ground state as well as beta-delayed two-proton radioactivity.
authors.affiliation: Centre d'Etudes Nucléaires de Bordeaux Gradignan-Université Bordeaux 1-UMR 5797 CNRS/IN2P3, Chemin du Solarium, BP 120, F-33175 Gradignan Cedex, France.
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authors.lastname: Giovinazzo
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authors.lastname: de Oliveira Santos
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authors.lastname: Thomas