An improved single-particle basis for nuclear structure studies far from stability

A new single-particle basis is proposed for use in weakly bound nuclei far from the valley of beta stability.The basis, obtained by applying a local-scaling point transformation to the states of a harmonic oscillator potential, can be tailored to have the correct asymptotic properties for weakly bound systems.We first present a test of the basis and then apply it in Hartree-Fock-Bogolyubov calculations of the even Mg isotopes, from the proton drip line to the neutron drip line.     

Structure of nuclei far from stability

The structure of neutron-rich unstable nuclei is discussed by focusing on three different subjects; (i) a superdeformed halo nucleus ¹¹Be studied by a deformed Woods-Saxon potential, (ii) retarded β decay due to neutron halo in ¹¹Li, and (iii) giant neutron excitations in nuclei with neutron skin.     

Masses of atomic nuclei far from stability

It is shown that a new way of applying a set of nuclear-mass relations among neighbouring nuclei, known as the Garvey–Kelson (GK) relations, holds exceptionally well for all currently measured masses. It is then demonstrated that these relationships are not adequately fulfilled for the best-known procedures to predict unknown masses. This suggests that these models may be optimized by constraining them to satisfy the (generalized) GK equations.     

Microscopic calculations of beta decay far from stability

Beta decay properties of nuclei far from stability are of decisive importance for the understanding of the element synthesis in the universe and the determination of the age of the universe by means of cosmochronometers. A new large scale microscopic calculation ofβ ^?-decay half-lives up to the neutron drip line is presented. This new approach uses the proton-neutron quasiparticle random phase approximation with a Gamow-Teller residual interaction.     

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.     

Periodic structure and stability of nuclear matter

The stability of π-condensate in nuclear matter is considered. It is shown that the periodic structure of the condensate field leads to a periodic modulation of the nuclear density. The influence of the condensation on nuclear properties is discussed.     

Beta decay half lives of nuclei far from stability

Double differential cross sections for total δ-electron and K shell δ-electron emission in two angles 45° and 135° and energies 200 eV–7 keV are measured with 6 MeV p on Ar. The cross sections for K shell δ-electron emission are compared with recent calculations in PWBA with an OPM effective atomic potential⁵ and in SCA with an effective charge Coulomb potential¹².     

Properties unique in nuclei far from β stability line

Nucleons with very small binding energies present in nuclei far from the β stability line produce a unique shell structure, which leads to the disappearance of traditional magic numbers or to the creation of new magic numbers and new deformation regions. We study the shell structure in terms of the variation of two important ingredients, the kinetic energy and the spin-orbit splitting, as a function of the orbital angular momentum ℓ, when binding energies of neutrons decrease towards zero. It is also shown that for low-lying threshold strength, a negative sign is possible for the polarization charge coming from the coupling of one-particle to isoscalar shape oscillations. Received: 1 May 2001 / Accepted: 4 December 2001     

Core polarization effects in effective Hamiltonians far from stability

We investigate the neutron rich nuclei which can be described by shell model calculations in the p–sd and sd–pf model spaces. We quantify the effects of the core polarization on the multipole part (pairing and quadrupole) of the effective Hamiltonians. We show that proton core polarization contributions are responsible for the reduction of the neutron–neutron nuclear matrix elements which, in the recent shell model studies, appeared necessary between p–sd carbon and oxygen and sd–pf silicon and calcium nuclei.     

Structure of nuclei far from the stability in relativistic approach

The recent progress of the relativistic many-body approach by the group at Peking University will be reviewed. In particular, axially deformed relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov approach in Woods-Saxon basis aiming at halo nucleus, time-odd triaxial RMF approach, the adiabatic and configuration-fixed constrained triaxial RMF approaches, a Reflection ASymmetric RMF (RAS-RMF) approach, and a new relativistic Hartree-Fock (RHF) approach with density-dependent σ,ω,ρ and π meson-nucleon couplings for finite nuclei and nuclear matter, will be highlighted.     

Spherical nuclei near the stability line and far from it

Results of microscopic and semiphenomenological calculations of features of spherical nuclei lying near the stability line and far from it are presented. The reason why the nuclei being considered are spherical is that they are magic at least in one nucleon sort. The present analysis is performed for Z = 50 and Z = 28 isotopes and for N = 50 isotones, the region extending from neutron-rich to neutron-deficient nuclei being covered. The isotopic dependence of the mean-field spin–orbit nuclear potential is revealed; systematics of energies of levels and probabilities for electromagnetic transitions is examined; and root-mean-square radii of nuclei are calculated, along with the proton- and neutron-density distributions in them. Nuclei in the vicinity of closed shells are considered in detail, and the axial-vector weak coupling constant in nuclei is evaluated. A systematic comparison of the results of calculations with experimental data is performed.     

Study of nuclei far from stability with the AYE-Ball array

The coupling of a Compton-suppressed Ge (CsGe) detector array to a recoil mass separator (RMS) has seen limited use in the past due to the low efficiency for measuring recoil-γ ray coincidences (< 0.1%).With the building of new generation recoil separators and gamma-ray arrays, a substantial increase in detection efficiency has been achieved. This allows for the opportunity to measure excited states in nuclei with cross-sections approaching 100 nb. In this paper, results from the coupling of a modest array of CsGe detectors (AYE-Ball) with a recoil separator (FMA) will be presented.     

Mean field and beyond in nuclei far from stability lines

We calculate, for the first time, the state-dependent pairing gap of a finite nucleus (¹²⁰Sn) diagonalizing the bare nucleon-nucleon potential (Argonne v₁₄) in a Hartree-Fock basis. The resulting gap accounts for about half of the experimental gap. Going beyond the mean field in the particle-particle channel, the combined effect of the bare nucleon-nucleon potential and of the induced pairing interaction arising from the exchange of low-lying surface vibrations between nucleons moving in time reversal states close to the Fermi energy accounts for the experimental gap. Examples for light, halo nuclei are also reported. The more studied effects of the particle-vibration coupling in the particle-hole channel are discussed for the low-lying quadrupole vibration in ¹²⁰Sn and the giant dipole resonance in the unstable oxygen isotopes and ¹³²Sn.     

Penning trap mass spectrometry for nuclear structure studies

High-precision mass measurements as performed at the Penning trap mass spectrometer ISOLTRAP at ISOLDE/CERN are an important contribution to the investigation of nuclear structure. Precise nuclear masses with less than 0.1 ppm relative mass uncertainty allow stringent tests of mass models and formulae that are used to predict mass values of nuclides far from the valley of stability. Furthermore, an investigation of nuclear structure effects like shell or sub-shell closures, deformations, and halos is possible. In addition to a sophisticated experimental setup for precise mass measurements, a radioactive ion-beam facility that delivers a large variety of short-lived nuclides with sufficient yield is required. An overview of the results from the mass spectrometer ISOLTRAP is given and its limits and possibilities are described.      

Spectroscopy of nuclei far from stability at GANIL: Recent experiments

The structure of neutron-rich light nuclei around N = 20, 28 has been investigated at GANIL by means of in-beam gamma spectroscopy using fragmentation reactions of ³⁶S and ⁴⁸Ca beams on a Be target. Gamma decay of relatively high-lying excited states have been measured for the first time in nuclei around ³²Mg and ⁴⁴S. Level schemes are proposed and discussed for a large number of these neutron-rich nuclei around N = 20 and N = 28. Received: 1 May 2001 / Accepted: 4 December 2001     

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.     

Spins and moments of nuclei far from stability determined by on-line atomic-beam techniques

Hyperfine structure measurements using on-line atomic-beam techniques are of great importance in the systematic study of spins and moments of nuclei far from stability. We will discuss the atomic-beam magnetic resonance (ABMR) method, and laser spectroscopy methods using crossed-beam geometry with a collimated thermal atomic-beam and collinear geometry with a fast atomic-beam. The advantages of the different methods will be compared, and selected results from the extensive measurements at the ISOLDE facility, CERN, will be presented.Fruitful discussions with members of the different hfs groups at ISOLDE, and in particular those with Dr. R. Neugart, are gratefully acknowledged.