beta-delayed proton decay of the proton drip-line nucleus Ho-142 in the rare-earth region

New beta-delayed proton precursor Ho-142 was produced via heavy ion induced reaction Cd-106(Ca-40, p3n), and identified for the first time by using a He-jet fast tape transport system in combination with "p-gamma' coincidence measurements. The beta-delayed proton decay of Ho-142 was observed and its half life was determined to be (0.4+/-0.1) s. By fitting the experimental relative branching ratios to final states in the proton daughter nucleus Tb-141 and-the energy spectrum of beta-delayed protons with a statistical model calculation, the ground-state spin of (142) Ho was assigned as 5, 6 or 7. Nuclear energy-potential-surface (EPS) calculations were performed using the Woods-Saxon Strutinsky method. The calculated results favored the assignments of 7(-) to Ho-142. As the by-products, some gamma-transitions in the proton daughter nuclei following the beta-delayed proton decays of precursors Gd-139, Tb-140, Tb-142, and Dy-143 were reported here for the first time.http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000182042100009&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=8e1609b174ce4e31116a60747a720701Physics, MultidisciplinarySCI(E)1ARTICLE2178-1844