The excited states of $N=44$ ${}^{74}\mathrm{Zn}$ were investigated via $\gamma$-ray spectroscopy following ${}^{74}\mathrm{Cu}$ $\beta$ decay. By exploiting $\gamma \text{−}\gamma$ angular correlation analysis, the $2_2^{+}$, $3_1^{+}$, $0_2^{+}$, and $2_3^{+}$ states in ${}^{74}\mathrm{Zn}$ were firmly established. The $\gamma$-ray branching and $E2/M1$ mixing ratios for transitions deexciting the $2_2^{+}$, $3_1^{+}$, and $2_3^{+}$ states were measured, allowing for the extraction of relative $B(E2)$ values. In particular, the $2_3^{+}\to 0_2^{+}$ and $2_3^{+}\to 4_1^{+}$ transitions were observed for the first time. The results show excellent agreement with new microscopic large-scale shell-model calculations, and are discussed in terms of underlying shapes, as well as the role of neutron excitations across the $N=40$ gap. Enhanced axial shape asymmetry (triaxiality) is suggested to characterize ${}^{74}\mathrm{Zn}$ in its ground state. Furthermore, an excited $K=0$ band with a significantly larger softness in its shape is identified. A shore of the $N=40$ “island of inversion” appears to manifest above $Z=26$, previously thought as its northern limit in the chart of the nuclides.

Lifetimes of the 9/21- and 3/21- states in Co63 and the 9/21- state in Co65 were measured using the recoil distance Doppler shift and the differential decay curve methods. The nuclei were populated by multinucleon transfer reactions in inverse kinematics. $\gamma${} rays were measured with the EXOGAM Ge array and the recoiling fragments were fully identified using the large-acceptance VAMOS spectrometer. The E2 transition probabilities from the 3/21- and 9/21- states to the 7/2- ground state could be extracted in Co63 as well as an upper limit for the 9/21-$\rightarrow${}7/21- B(E2) value in Co65. The experimental results were compared to large-scale shell-model calculations in the pf and pfg9/2 model spaces, allowing us to draw conclusions on the single-particle or collective nature of the various states.

The first experiment using radioactive beams post-accelerated by the HIE-ISOLDE facility has enabled to obtain a precise set of $B\left(E2\right)$ transition probabilities in neutron-rich ${}^{74,76}\mathrm{Zn}$ isotopes. The resulting $B(E2$; $2_1^{+}\to 0_1^{+}$) values are consistent with those determined in earlier REX-ISOLDE measurements. While the $B(E2$; $4_1^{+}\to 2_1^{+}$) transition probability in ${}^{76}\mathrm{Zn}$ is also in agreement with earlier Coulomb-excitation results, the value obtained for ${}^{74}\mathrm{Zn}$ is considerably lower. For the first time, a spectroscopic quadrupole moment of the $2_1^{+}$ state was measured for an exotic nucleus in this mass region. A detailed comparison is presented with large-scale shell-model and Monte Carlo shell-model calculations.

The Coulomb excitation of ${}^{102}\mathrm{Ru}$ was performed with beams of ${}^{12}\mathrm{C}$ and ${}^{16}\mathrm{O}$ ions. The beam particles scattered at forward angles were momentum analyzed with a magnetic spectrograph. The resolution achieved enabled the populations of the $2_1^{+}$ state, the unresolved $2_2^{+}/4_1^{+}$, and $2_4^{+}/3_1^{-}$, doublets of states, and the $3_2^{-}$ state to be determined as a function of the scattering angle. These populations are compared with gosia calculations, yielding $B(E2;2_1^{+}\to 0_1^{+})=41.5\pm 2.3$ W.u., $B(E2;2_2^{+}\to 0_1^{+})=1.75\pm 0.11$ W.u., $B(E3;3_1^{-}\to 0_1^{+})=31.5\pm 3.5$ W.u., and $B(E3;3_2^{-}\to 0_1^{+})=6.8\pm 0.5$ W.u. The $B(E3;3_1^{-}\to 0_1^{+})$ value is significantly larger than previously measured. The weakly populated $2_3^{+}$ state, presumed to be a member of the band built on the $0_2^{+}$ state, was observed clearly for a single angle only, and a fit to its population results in $B(E2;2_3^{+}\to 0_1^{+})=0.053\pm 0.011$ W.u. Using the known $\gamma$-ray branching ratios for the $2_3^{+}$ level, the $B(E2;2_3^{+}\to 0_2^{+})$ value is calculated to be $18\pm 4$ W.u., substantially less than the $B(E2;2_1^{+}\to 0_1^{+})$. This suggests that the deformation of the $0_2^{+}$ state is lower than that of the $0_1^{+}$ state. The results are compared with beyond-mean-field calculations with the Gogny-D1S interaction using the symmetry-conserving configuration-mixing method.

The unprecedented capabilities of state-of-the-art segmented germanium-detector arrays, such as AGATA and GRETA, derive from the possibility of performing pulse-shape analysis. The comparison of the net- and transient-charge signals with databases via grid-search methods allows the identification of the $$\gamma $$γ -ray interaction points within the segment volume. Their precise determination is crucial for the subsequent reconstruction of the $$\gamma $$γ -ray paths within the array via tracking algorithms, and hence the performance of the spectrometer. In this paper the position uncertainty of the deduced interaction point is investigated using the bootstrapping technique applied to $$^{60}$$60 Co radioactive-source data. General features of the extracted position uncertainty are discussed as well as its dependence on various quantities, e.g. the deposited energy, the number of firing segments and the segment geometry.