Information collected in the present high resolution study of 104Pd(d,t)103Pd is interpreted within the systematics of the A ~ 100 region. The paper complements data previously presented by the S.Paulo Group, which were taken with the Pelletron-Enge-Spectrograph facility. A one-to-one correspondence to gamma ray results for 103Pd, collected by the Nuclear Data Sheets (NDS), was achieved and at least four open questions were settled. More reliable spectroscopic strengths were extracted in the present study.

Low-lying levels of 103Pd have been investigated through the (d,t) reaction on 104Pd, at an incident deuteron energy of 15.0 MeV. Outgoing particles were momentum analyzed by an Enge magnetic spectrograph and detected in nuclear emulsion plates, with an energy resolution of 8 keV. Previous (d,t) work suffered from a much worse resolution than that here achieved. A partial analysis of the data obtained is reported, referring to six out of the fourteen scattering angles for which data were obtained. Angular distributions associated with eight of the thirteen levels seen up to 1.1 MeV of excitation have been compared to DWBA one-neutron pick-up predictions. Both, the attributed excitation energy values and the transferred angular momenta are in excellent agreement with the results of other kind of experiments, as tabulated by the Nuclear Data Sheets. Some peculiar structure characteristics, associated with the yrast 5/2+, 3/2+ and 7/2+ states found in the Ru chain could be recognized also in 103Pd, pointing to the possibility of a more global understanding of this transitional mass region.

Angular distributions for the inelastic scattering of 13.0 MeV deuterons on 104;106;108;110Pd were measured with the Sao Paulo Pelletron-Enge-Spectrograph facility in the range of 12(0) < thetalab < 64(0). A Coulomb-Nuclear Interference analysis, employing the Distorted Wave Born Approximation with the Deformed Optical Model as transition potential, under well established global optical parameters, was applied to the first quadrupolar excitations. The values of C = <IMG SRC="/img/revistas/bjp/v34n3a/a14img02.gif">/ <IMG SRC="/img/revistas/bjp/v34n3a/a14img01.gif">, the ratio of charge to isoscalar deformation lengths, and of (<IMG SRC="/img/revistas/bjp/v34n3a/a14img01.gif">)² were extracted through the comparison of experimental and predicted cross section angular distributions. The ratios of reduced charge to isoscalar transition probabilities, B(EL) to B(ISL) respectively, are related to the square of the parameter C and were thus obtained with the advantage of scale uncertainties cancellation. For 104Pd, and preliminary for 108Pd, the respective values of C = 1.18(3) and C = 1.13(4) reveal an enhanced contribution of the protons relative to the neutrons to the excitation, while a smaller effect is found for 106Pd, C = 1.06(3) and for 110Pd, C = 1.07(3), in comparison with the value C = 1.00 expected for homogenous collective excitations.

The study of the odd 99;101Ru nuclei complements the investigation of the collectivity of the first quadrupolar excitations in 100;102;104Ru. Angular distributions for the 99;101Ru(d, d') reactions at 13 MeV were obtained in the Pelletron Laboratory using nuclear emulsion plates on the focal plane of the Enge spectrograph. A Coulomb-Nuclar Interference analysis employing DWBA-DOMP predictions with global optical potential parameters was applied to the excitation of states which could belong to the multiplet built on the first quadrupolar excitation of the core. In the analysis, three states were identified for each of the isotopes and associated, respectively, with adopted levels in the Nuclear Data Sheets Compilation of Jpi= 5=2+, 7=2+ and 9=2+. Through the comparison of experimental and predicted cross section angular distributions, the values of (<IMG SRC="/img/revistas/bjp/v34n3a/a14img01.gif">)² and of the ratio C = <IMG SRC="/img/revistas/bjp/v34n3a/a14img01.gif" >/ <IMG SRC="/img/revistas/bjp/v34n3a/a14img02.gif" >were obtained.

É discutida a conceituação de objetos com estrutura fractal, tendo em vista sua utilização em experiências motivadoras no laboratório didático. Foram estudadas bolas de pão amassado, que podem ser empregadas como contraponto não fractal (D ~ 3,0) às bolas de papel amassado, as quais apresentam dimensão fractal (D ~ 3,0), salientando a necessidade de um cálculo correto de incertezas. Três tipos de pão foram investigados: dois brancos, de forma e italiano, e um preto denso, do tipo alemão de três grãos. Desses, apenas o pão branco italiano demonstrou possível estrutura fractal, após o amassamento, caracterizada pela dimensão fractal D = 2,81 ± 0,06, enquanto os resultados obtidos para os pães preto e de forma, D = 2,95 ± 0,06 e D = 2,98 ± 0,04 respectivamente, não os tipificam como fractais. São analisados os problemas conceituais que resultaram em dimensão fractal 2,08 ± 0,25 para o pão, em informação encontrada na literatura de escopo didático.

The concept of objects with a fractal structure is discussed, in the context of their use in motivating activities for the didactic Laboratory. Spheres of squashed bread, which may be employed as non-fractal counter example (D ~ 3,0) to the fractal crumpled paper balls (D ~ 2,5), were analysed and the need for correct computation of the uncertainties is stressed. Three kinds of bread were investigated: two white ones, an usual sandwich and an italian type, and one very heavy three grain german dark bread. Only the white italian bread showed a possible fractal structure after the squashing procedure, characterized by the dimension 2.81 ± 0.06, while the results for the others, respectively D = 2.95 ± 0.06 and D = 2.98 ± 0.04, for the dark and white sandwich breads, do not typify them as fractals. The conceptual problems, which resulted in a fractal dimension of D = 2.08 ± 0.25 for bread, found in an article in the literature, are analysed.