Shell evolution in neutron-rich nuclei: the single particle perspective

The isospin dependence of spin-orbit(SO)splitting becomes increasingly important as N/Z increases in neutron-rich nuclei.Following the initial independent-particle strategy toward explaining the occurrence of magic numbers,we systematically investigated the isospin effect on the shell evolution in neutron-rich nuclei within the Woods-Saxon mean-field potential and the SO term.It is found that new magic numbers N=14 and N=16 may emerge in neutron-rich nuclei if one changes the sign of the isospin-dependent term in the SO coupling,whereas the traditional magic number,N=20,may disappear.The magic number N=28 is expected to be destroyed despite the sign choice of the isospin part in the SO splitting,corresponding to the strength of the SO coupling term.Meanwhile,the N=50 and 82 shells may persist within the single particle scheme,although there is a decreasing trend of their gaps toward extreme proton-deficient nuclei.Besides,an appreciable energy gap appears at N=32 and 34 in neutron-rich Ca isotopes.All these results are more consistent with those of the interacting shell model when enhancing the strength of the SO potential in the independent particle model.The present study may provide a more reasonable starting point than the existing one for not only the interacting shell model but also other nuclear many-body calculations toward the neutron-dripline of the Segrèchart.     

Shell-model studies of the N=14 and 16 shell closures in neutron-rich nuclei

Shell-model studies on the N=14 and 16 shell closures in neutron-rich Be, C, O and Ne isotopes are presented. We calculate, with the WBT interaction, the excited states in these nuclei. The calculations agree with recent experiment data. Excited energies and B(E2) values are displayed to discuss the shell closures. Our results support the N=16 shell closure in these isotopes, while indicating a disappearance of N=14 shell closure in Be and C isotopes.     

Deformations and B（E2） Values of Ne and Mg Nuclei around N = 20

The ground-state deformations and B（E2） values of Ne and Mg nuclei around N = 20 are studied within the framework of the macroscopic-microscopic （MM） model with isospin-dependent Nilsson potential. The calculated results are compared with those obtained from standard Nilsson parameters and with experimental ones. It is found that the calculations with new Nilsson parameters well reproduce the experimental large deformations and B（E2） values for Ne and Mg nuclei around N = 20. The N = 20 shell closure of Ne and Mg isotopes disappears in the MM model and this agrees with experimental data.     

Shell-model studies of the N=14 and 16 shell closures in neutron-rich nuclei

Shell-model studies on the N =14 and 16 shell closures in neutron-rich Be, C, O and Ne isotopes are presented. We calculate, with the WBT interaction, the excited states in these nuclei. The calculations agree with recent experiment data. Excited energies and B(E2) values are displayed to discuss the shell closures. Our results support the N =16 shell closure in these isotopes, while indicating a disappearance of N =14 shell closure in Be and C isotopes.     

Symmetry energy and experimentally observed cold fragments in intermediate heavy-ion collisions

An attempt is made to study the symmetry energy at the time of primary fragment formation from the experimentally observed cold fragments for a neutron-rich system of ~(64)Ni + ~9Be at 140 MeV/nucleon,utilizing the recent finding that the excitation energy becomes lower for more neutron-rich isotopes with a given Z value.The extracted α_(sym)/T values from the cold fragments,based on the Modified Fisher Model(MFM),are compared to those from the primary fragments of the antisymmetrized molecular dynamics(AMD) simulation and become consistent with the simulation when the I = N —Z value becomes larger,indicating that the excitation energy of these neutron-rich isotopes is indeed lower.     

Empirical formula for β~--decay half-lives of r-process nuclei

Experimental data ofβ--decay half-lives of nuclei with atomic number between 20 and 190 are investigated.A systematic formula has been proposed to calculateβ~--decay half-lives of neutron-rich nuclei,with a particular consideration on shell and pair effects,the decay energy Q as well as the nucleon numbers(Z,N).Although the formula has relatively few parameters,it reproduces the experimentalβ~--decay half-lives of neutron-rich nuclei very well.The predicted half-lives for the r-process relevant nuclei obtained with the current formula serve as reliable input in the r-process model calculations.     

Shell evolution at N=20 in the constrained relativistic mean field approach

The shell evolution at N=20, a disappearing neutron magic number observed experimentally in very neutron-rich nuclides, is investigated in the constrained relativistic mean field (RMF) theory. The trend of the shell closure observed experimentally towards the neutron drip-line can be reproduced. The predicted two-neutron separation energies, neutron shell gap energies and deformation parameters of ground states are shown as well. These results are compared with the recent Hartree-Fock-Bogliubov (HFB-14) model and the available experimental data. The perspective towards a better understanding of the shell evolution is discussed.     

丰中子锰同位素的壳模型计算

利用球形壳模型和投影壳模型两种方法对Z≤28,N=40附近pf壳的丰中子核素的结构进行了一系列的研究。以丰中子的锰同位素为例讨论了对奇奇核58,60Mn的两种壳模型计算结果。结果显示,两种理论方法都很好地再现了58,60Mn实验上观测到的从低激发到高自旋态的能级。在对这两个同位素由中子g_9/2轨道闯入所产生的负宇称转动带进行描述时,两种理论计算也得到了一致的结果。通过对比,阐明了两种壳模型方法及其采用的有效相互作用在该丰中子核区的适用性,特别强调了中子g_9/2轨道的激发对于pf壳Z≤28丰中子核素结构的重要性。Recently,we have carried out a series of studies on the structures of pf shell neutron-rich nuclei around N=40 using the spherical shell model and the projected shell model respectively.As an example,these two types of shell model calculations for the neutron-rich odd-odd isotopes 58,60Mn are discussed in this paper.The results show that both the calculations reproduce the observed experimental energy levels from the lowexcitation states to the high-spin ones in 58,60Mn.Consistent results are also obtained by these two theoretical calculations when describing the negative-parity rotational band derived from the intruder neutron g_9/2 orbital in both isotopes.Through comparison,we show the applicability of these two shell model methods and the adopted effective interactions in the present neutron-rich mass region.The significance of the excitations from neutron g_9/2 orbital to the structures of the neutron-rich nuclei in pf shell with Z≤28 are especially emphasized in this paper.     

A Simple Systematical Law of E2＋ Values for Heavy Nuclei in the NpNn Scheme and the Evolution of the Z=64 Shell Gap

A systematics of excitation energy of the first 2^＋ state E2＋ in even-even heavy nuclei （A ≥ 120） is studied in the NpNn scheme. It is found that a simple exponential function describes the dependence of E2＋ values on NpNn values very well. In addition, the Z = 64 shell gap is reexamined by investigating the systematics of the 52 ≤ Z ≤66 region. It is found that the Z = 64 shell gap is largest at N = 82 and becomes smMler with either increasing or decreasing of neutron numbers. The effects of this shell gap become negligible for counting the valence proton numbers when N ≥ 92 or N ≤ 72.     

Branching Ratios of α Decay for Nuclei near Deformed Shell Closures

The generalized liquid drop model （GLDM） is extended to the region around deformed shell closure ^270Hs by taking into account the excitation energy EI＋ of the residual daughter nucleus and the centrifugal potential energy Vcen（r）. The branching ratios of a decays from the ground state of a parent nucleus to the ground state 0^＋ of its deformed daughter nucleus and to the first excited state 2^＋ are calculated in the framework of the GLDM. The results support the proposal that a measurement of a spectroscopy is a feasible method to extract information on nuclear deformation of superheavy nuclei around the deformed nucleus ^270Hs.     

Measurement of excited states in (40)Si and evidence for weakening of the N=28 shell gap

Excited states in (40)Si have been established by detecting gamma rays coincident with inelastic scattering and nucleon removal reactions on a liquid hydrogen target. The low excitation energy, 986(5) keV, of the 2(1)(+) state provides evidence of a weakening in the N=28 shell closure in a neutron-rich nucleus devoid of deformation-driving proton collectivity.     

Rearrangements in neutron shell closures far from stability

A survey of experimental results obtained at GANIL (Caen, Prance) on the study of the properties of very neutron-rich nuclei (Z = 6–20, A = 20–60) near the neutron drip line and resulting in an appearance of further evidence for the new magic number N = 16 is presented. Very recent data on mass measurements of neutron-rich nuclei at GANIL and some characteristics of binding energies in this region are discussed. Nuclear binding energies are very sensitive to the existence of nuclear shells and together with the measurements of instability of doubly magic nuclei ¹⁰He and ²⁸0 they provide information on changes in neutron shell closures of very neutron-rich isotopes. The behaviour of the two-neutron separation energies S_2n derived from mass measurements gives a very clear evidence for the existence of the new shell closure N = 16 for Z = 9 and 10 appearing between 2s_1/2 and ld_3/2 orbitals. This fact, strongly supported by the instability of C, N and O isotopes with N > 16, confirms the magic character of N = 16 for the region from carbon up to neon while the shell closure at N = 20 tends to disappear for Z ≤ 13. Decay studies of these hardly accessible short-lived neutron-rich nuclei from oxygen to silicon using the in-beam γ-ray spectroscopy are also reported.     

Shape coexistence and the N = 28 shell closure far from stability

The masses of 31 neutron-rich nuclei in the range A = 29-47 have been measured. The precision of 19 masses has been significantly improved and 12 masses were measured for the first time. The neutron-rich Cl, S, and P isotopes are seen to exhibit a change in shell structure around N = 28. Comparison with shell model and relativistic mean field calculations demonstrate that the observed effects arise from deformed prolate ground state configurations associated with shape coexistence. Evidence for shape coexistence is provided by the observation of an isomer in 43S.     

Coulomb excitation of 68,70Cu: first use of postaccelerated isomeric beams

We report on the first low-energy Coulomb excitation measurements with radioactive Ipi=6- beams of odd-odd nuclei 68,70Cu. The beams were produced at ISOLDE, CERN and were post-accelerated by REX-ISOLDE to 2.83 MeV/nucleon. Gamma rays were detected with the MINIBALL spectrometer. The 6- beam was used to study the multiplet of states (3-, 4-, 5-, 6-) arising from the pi2p3/2 nu 1g9/2 configuration. The 4- state of the multiplet was populated via Coulomb excitation and the B(E2;6--->4-) value was determined in both nuclei. The results obtained illustrate the fragile stability of the Z=28 shell and N=40 subshell closures. A comparison with large-scale shell-model calculations using the 56Ni core shows the importance of the proton excitations across the Z=28 shell gap to the understanding of the nuclear structure in the neutron-rich nuclei with N approximately 40.     

Evolution of the N = 20 and N = 28 shell closures in neutron-rich nuclei

The isospin dependence of shell closure phenomena is studied for light neutron-rich nuclei within a microscopic self-consistent approach using the Gogny force. Introducing configuration mixing, ³²Mg is found to be dynamically deformed, although the N = 20 spherical shell closure persists at the mean-field level for all N = 20 isotones. In contrast, the N = 28 spherical shell closure is found to disappear for N - Z≥ 10 whereas deformed shell closures are preserved and lead to shape coexistence in ⁴⁴ S. Configuration mixing shows that the ground state of this nucleus is triaxially deformed. The first 2⁺ excitation energy E_x = 1.46 MeV and the reduced transition probability B(E2;0⁺ _gs→ 2⁺ ₁)= 420 e ² fm ⁴ obtained with our approach are in good agreement with experimental data. Received: 26 July 2000 / Accepted: 30 August 2000