Testing the predictive power of realistic shell model calculations via lifetime measurement of the 11/2+ state in Sb 131

The lifetime of the 11/21+ state in the Sb131 nucleus was measured at the LOHENGRIN spectrometer of the Institut Laue-Langevin via neutron-induced fission of U235 using γ-ray fast-timing techniques. The obtained value of T1/2=3(2) ps, at the edge of the sensitivity of the experimental method, is the first result for the 11/21+ state half-life in neutron-rich Sb isotopes. The corresponding quadrupole reduced transition probability to the ground state is B(E2)=1.4-0.6+1.5W.u., indicating a noncollective nature of this state. Realistic shell-model calculations performed in a large valence space reproduce well the experimental value and point to a dominant 2+(Sn130) - πg7/2 configuration for the 11/21+ state, as expected in a weak-coupling scenario. At the same time, the sum of the quadrupole strength of the multiplet states is predicted to exceed the one of the Sn130 core as a consequence of the equal contribution of the proton and the proton-neutron quadrupole matrix elements, pointing to possible development of collectivity already in the close neighborhood of Sn132.