Parity non-conservation effects in light nuclei

Properties of nuclear states relevant to studies of parity non-conversion in 21Ne, 18F and 20Ne have been determined. The mean lifetime of the 2.795 MeV Jsup(π) =1/2+ state in 21Ne has been measured using the 12C(13C, αγ)21Ne reaction and a variation of the Doppler shift attenuation method that is particularly well suited to the measurement of short lifetimes. The mean lifetime of the 1.042 MeV Jsup(π) = O+, T = 1 state in 18F has been measured using the reaction 3He(16O,p)18F. A search has been carried out to locate the 11.264 MeV Jsup(π) = 1+, T = 1 state in 20Ne as a parity forbidden resonance in the 16O(α,γ)20Ne reaction. Finally, as a by-product of the 20Ne parity non-conservation studies, the total γ-ray branching ratio for the 12.22 MeV 2+, T = 1 state in 20Ne has been measured. (author)