Intermediate-energy Coulomb excitation of 104Sn: Moderate E2 strength decrease approaching 100Sn

The reduced transition probability B(E2) of the first excited 2+ state in the nucleus 104Sn was measured via Coulomb excitation in inverse kinematics at intermediate energies. A value of 0.163(26) e^2b^2 was extracted from the absolute cross-section on a Pb target, while the method itself was verified with the stable 112Sn isotope. Our result deviates significantly from the earlier reported value of 0.10(4) e^2b^2 and corresponds to a moderate decrease of excitation strength relative to the almost constant values observed in the proton-rich, even-A 106-114Sn isotopes. Present state-of-the-art shell-model predictions, which include proton and neutron excitations across the N=Z=50 shell closures as well as standard polarization charges, underestimate the experimental findings