Level lifetimes in ⁵²Cr from DSAM following inelastic neutron scattering: Implications for shape coexistence and <i>E</i>0 strengths

Nuclear shape coexistence is a widespread but not yet well understood phenomenon. Electric monopole (E0) transitions are a particularly sensitive probe of shape coexistence. The first E0 measurements on the Cr isotopes were performed at The Australian National University, but were hampered by missing and imprecise data of the key spectroscopic quantities such as level lifetimes. To address these needs, the low-lying states in 52 Cr were investigated at the University of Kentucky Accelerator Laboratory with inelastic neutron scattering. γ-ray angular distribution and excitation function measurements were performed to determine level lifetimes, spins and parities, transition mixing ratios, and γ-ray branching ratios. We present new level lifetimes for three states in 52 Cr along with the implications for E0 transition strengths and shape coexistence in 52 Cr.