Thorough Gamma-ray and Particle Decay Investigations of 58Ni

The combined data from three fusion-evaporation reaction experiments have been utilized to investigate the semi-magic nucleus Ni-58(28)30. To detect gamma rays in coincidence with evaporated particles, the Ge-detector array Gammasphere was used in conjunction with the charged-particle detectors Microball and LuWuSiA (the Lund Washington University Silicon Array), and a neutron detector array. The results yield a significantly extended level scheme of Ni-58 comprising some 340 gamma-ray transitions and include a total of at least 14 discrete particle decays into excited states of the daughter nuclei Fe-54 and Co-57. The level scheme is compared with large-scale shell-model calculations and cranked Nilsson-Strutinsky calculations