Proton magic even-even isotopes and giant halos of Ca isotopes with relativistic continuum Hartree-Bogoliubov theory

We study the proton magic O, Ca, Ni, Zr, Sn, and Pb isotope chains from the proton drip line to the neutron drip line with the relativistic continuum Hartree-Bogoliubov (RCHB) theory. Particulary, we study in detail the properties of even-even Ca isotopes due to the appearance of giant halos in neutron rich Ca nuclei near the neutron drip line. The RCHB theory is able to reproduce the experimental binding energiesE _b and two neutron separation energiesS _2n very well. The predicted neutron drip line nuclei are²⁸O,⁷²Ca,⁹⁸Ni,¹³⁶Zr,¹⁷⁶Sn, and²⁶⁶Pb. Halo and giant halo properties predicted in Ca isotopes withA>60 are investigated in detail through analysis of two neutron separation energies, nucleon density distributions, single particle energy levels, and the occupation probabilities of energy levels including continuum states. The spin-orbit splitting and the diffuseness of nuclear potential in these Ca isotopes, as well as the neighboring lighter isotopes in the drip line Ca region and find certain possibilities of giant halo nuclei in the Ne−Na−Mg drip line nuclei are also studied.     

Proton radioactivity — spherical and deformed

The proton drip line defines one of the fundamental limits to nuclear stability. Nuclei lying beyond this line are energetically unbound to the emission of a constituent proton from their ground states. For near-spherical nuclei in the region of the drip line between Z=69 (Tm) and Z=81 (T1), proton decay transition rates have been shown to be well reproduced by WKB calculations using spectroscopic factors derived from a low-seniority shell model calculation [2]. Another approach using spectroscopic factors obtained from the independent quasiparticle approximation has also proved successful in this region [3]. These interpretations have allowed the extraction of nuclear structure information from nuclei well beyond the proton drip line.     

Quadrupole strength function and core polarization in drip line nuclei

Using the self-consistent Hartree-Fock calculation plus RPA with Skyrme interactions, the RPA quadrupole strength function is estimated in the coordinate space, including simulataneously both the isoscalar and the isovector correlation. We discuss the result of the isoscalar, the isovector and the electric quadrupole polarization of the Ca-isotopes from the proton drip line towards the neutron drip line. We study also the comparison of the polarizations in the A = 48 mirror nuclei, ₂₈⁴⁸Ni₂₀ and ₂₀⁴⁸Ca₂₈, and the dependence of the polarizations of ₈²⁸O₂₀ on various Skyrme interactions.     

Proton electric pygmy dipole resonance

The evolution of the low-lying E1 strength in proton-rich nuclei is analyzed in the framework of the self-consistent relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov model and the relativistic quasiparticle random-phase approximation (RQRPA). Model calculations are performed for a series of N=20 isotones and Z=18 isotopes. For nuclei close to the proton drip line, the occurrence of pronounced dipole peaks is predicted in the low-energy region below 10 MeV excitation energy. From the analysis of the proton and neutron transition densities and the structure of the RQRPA amplitudes, it is shown that these states correspond to the proton pygmy dipole resonance.     

Light nuclei near neutron and proton drip lines in relativistic mean-field theory

We have made a detailed study of the ground-state properties of nuclei in the light-mass region with atomic numbers Z = 10–22 in the framework of the relativistic mean-field (RMF) theory. The nonlinear σω model with scalar self-interaction has been employed. The RMF calculations have been performed in an axially deformed configuration using the force NL-SH. We have considered nuclei about the stability line as well as those close to proton and neutron drip lines. It is shown that the RMF results provide good agreement with the available empirical data. The RMF predictions also show reasonably good agreement with those of the mass models. It is observed that nuclei in this mass region are found to possess strong deformations and exhibit shape changes all along the isotopic chains. The phenomenon of shape coexistence is found to persist near the stability line as well as near the drip lines. It is shown that the magic number N = 28 is quenched strongly, thus enabling the corresponding nuclei to assume strong deformations. Nuclei near the neutron and proton drip lines in this region are also shown to be strongly deformed.     

New magic number, N = 16, near the neutron drip line

We have surveyed the neutron separation energies (S(n)) and the interaction cross sections (sigma(I)) for the neutron-rich p-sd and the sd shell region. Very recently, both measurements reached up to the neutron drip line, or close to the drip line, for nuclei of Z/=3), which shows the creation of a new magic number. A neutron-number dependence of sigma(I) shows a large increase of sigma(I) for N = 15, which supports the new magic number. The origin of the new magic number is also discussed.     

The Gamow-Teller resonance in finite nuclei in the relativistic random phase approximation

Gamow-Teller (GT) resonances in finite nuclei are studied in a fully consistent relativistic random phase approximation (RPA) framework. A relativistic form of the Landau-Migdal contact interaction in the spin-isospin channel is adopted, which has a vector part as well as a time-like component. This choice ensures that the GT excitation energy in nuclear matter is correctly reproduced in the non-relativistic limit. The GT response functions of doubly magic nuclei ⁴⁸Ca, ⁹⁰Zr and ²⁰⁸Pb are calculated using the parameter set NL3 and g = 0.6. It is found that the effects related to Dirac sea states account for a reduction of 6-7% in the GT sum rule. The quenching of the GT strength in finite nuclei implies that the value of g in the relativistic model might be enlarged about 7%. The time component in the relativistic form of the Landau-Migdal force plays a little role in GT resonance energies.Received: 20 November 2003, Published online: 26 May 2004PACS: 21.60.-n Nuclear structure models and methods - 21.60.Jz Hartree-Fock and random-phase approximations - 24.10.Jv Relativistic models - 24.30.Cz Giant resonances     

Gamow-teller strength distribution in the vicinity of A = 90: (I). Schematic calculation of GT strength in 90, 92, 94Nb

The distributions of Gamow-Teller strength in ^{90, 92, 94}Nb have been calculated utilizing the so-called GT force in the random phase approximation. For ⁹⁰Nb the calculated distribution is in striking agreement with that part of the ⁹⁰Zr(p, n) excitation function leading to 1⁺ excitations in ⁹⁰Nb and qualitative agreement is demonstrated for data from the reactions ^{92, 94}Zr(p, n). Some 25 % of the GT strength is found to lie well below the structureless giant resonance proposed by Ikeda et al. The implications of this result to the β-decay properties of neutron rich nuclei near A = 90 are discussed.     

β-delayed proton decays near the proton drip line

We briefly reviewed the experimental study on β-delayed proton decays near the proton drip line published by our group during the period of 1996–2004, namely the first observation of the β-delayed proton decays of 9 new nuclides in the rare-earth region and the new measurements of β-delayed proton decays of 5 nuclides in the mass ∼90 region near theN=Z line with the aid of the “p-y” coincidence in combination with a He-jet tape transport system. In the meantime some important experimental technique details were supplemented. The experimental results, including the half-lives, spins, parities, deformations and production reaction cross sections for the 14 nuclei were summarized and compared with the current nuclear-model predictions, and then the following points were represented. (1) The experimental half-lives for⁸⁵Mo and⁹²Rh as well as the predicted “waiting point” nuclei⁸⁹Ru and⁹³Pd are 5–10 times longer than the theoretical predictions given by M?ller et al. using a macroscopic-microscopic model. It considerably influences the predictions of the abundances of the nuclides produced in the rp-process. (2) The current-model predictions are not consistent with the experimental assignments of the spins and parities for the proton drip-line nuclei¹⁴²Ho and¹²⁸Pm. However, the nuclear potential energy surface (PES) calculated by using a Woods-Saxon-Strutinsky method reproduced the experimental results. (3) The Alice code overestimated the production reaction cross sections of the studied 9 rare-earth nuclei by one order of magnitude or two, while HIVAP code overestimated them by one order of magnitude approximately.     

Calculation of single-particle energies in the 2856 Ni28 and 2878 Ni50 nuclei within the mean field model with the dispersive optical potential

Parameters of the neutron and proton dispersive optical potentials were determined by the earlier developed method for the unstable double magic nuclei ₂₈⁵⁶Ni₂₈ and ₂₈⁷⁸Ni₅₀. They were used to calculate the neutron and proton single-particle energies of these nuclei near the Fermi energy. Good agreement with the experimental data is obtained. Original Russian Text ? O.V. Bespalova, T.A. Ermakova, E.A. Romanovskii, T.I. Spasskaya, A.A. Klimochkina, 2009, published in Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk. Seriya Fizicheskaya, 2009, Vol. 73, No. 6, pp. 863–866.     

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.     

Systematic study of properties of Hs nuclei

The ground-state properties of Hs nuclei are studied in the framework of the relativistic mean-field theory. We find that the more relatively stable isotopes are located on the proton abundant side of the isotopic chain. The last stable nucleus near the proton drip line is probably the ²⁵⁵Hs nucleus. The a \alpha -decay half-lives of Hs nuclei are predicted, and together with the evaluation of the spontaneous-fission half-lives it is shown that the nuclei, which are possibly stable against spontaneous fission are ^263-274Hs . This is in coincidence with the larger binding energies per nucleon. If ^271-274Hs can be synthesized and identified, only those nuclei from the upper Z = 118 isotopic chain, which are lighter than the nucleus ²⁹⁴118 , and those nuclei in the corresponding a \alpha -decay chain lead to Hs nuclei. The most stable unknown Hs nucleus is ²⁶⁸Hs . The density-dependent delta interaction pairing is used to improve the BCS pairing correction, which results in more reasonable single-particle energy level distributions and nucleon occupation probabilities. It is shown that the properties of nuclei in the superheavy region can be described with this interaction.     

Isospin-forbidden β-decay of 28Mg

We have measured the branching ratio for the isospin-forbidden Fermi β-decay of ²⁸Mg to the 0.972 MeV 0⁺, T = 1 level in ²⁸Al. This decay occurs through an admixture of the 0⁺, t = 2 analog state at 5.992 MeV into the anti-analog level at 0.972 MeV. A charge-dependent matrix element of 17.0_?5.8^+4.3 keV is deduced from the observed (0.21 ± 0.12)% branch. Comparisons are made with matrix elements deduced in other nuclei. An analysis based on a simple shell model with fourfold degenerate Orbitals indicates the importance of the two-body Coulomb interaction in isospin mixing in nuclei with more than one valence proton.     

Single-nucleon transfer reactions induced by16O on14C

Angular distributions of the proton and neutron transfer reactions¹⁴C(¹⁶O,¹⁵N)¹⁵N and¹⁴C(¹⁶O,¹⁷O)¹³C leading to the ground states of the final nuclei were measured atE _lab=20, 25 and 30 MeV. A DWBA analysis was performed using the no-recoil approximation of Buttle and Goldfarb. All angular distributions, including the pronounced structures of the proton transfer arising from the fact that the final nuclei are identical, are well reproduced. The spectroscopic factor for the neutron transfer is in agreement with shell model calculations whereas the proton transfer into aj _<-state yields a value which is too high. Exact finite-range calculations do not show this discrepancy, indicating that recoil effects are important even for light targets and lower energies. Contributions of the nonnormall-transfer, however, are small.     

Microscopic structure of fundamental excitations in N = Z nuclei

An extended mean-field model is presented that describes states of different isospin in odd-odd and even-even nuclei. Excitation energies of the T = 1 states in even-even as well as T = 0 and T = 1 states in odd-odd N = Z nuclei are calculated. It is shown that the structure of these states can be determined in a consistent manner when both isoscalar and isovector pairing collectivity as well as isospin projection (treated here within the isocranking approximation) are taken into account. In particular, in odd-odd N = Z nuclei, the interplay between quasiparticle excitations (relevant for the case of T = 0 states) and isorotations (relevant for the case of T = 1 states) explains the near degeneracy of these states.     

Nuclear structure of neutron-rich nuclei near closed shells from excited-state g-factor measurements

New techniques to measure the g factors of picosecond-lived excited states of neutron-rich nuclei produced as radioactive beams are discussed along with their applications to study nuclear structure near ¹³² ₅₀Sn₈₂ and in the region between N=20 and N=28.     

Sum rules for two-particle operators and double beta decay

Sum rules for the double Gamow-Teller and Fermi operators are derived. They are exact when additional symmetries, isospin and SU(4) invariance, hold. Moreover, they represent a useful approximation independent of further assumptions for the cases of practical importance, nuclei with N − Z⪢ 1. The 2ν mode of double beta decay exhausts only ≈ 10⁻⁴ of the GT sum rule. Examples of the double strength distribution calculated within QRPA are shown and the importance of experimental determination of the double strength is stressed. Several processes which can be used for that purpose are identified and briefly discussed.     

缺中子Np新核素的α衰变研究

合成远离稳定线的新核素、探索原子核存在的极限是目前核物理研究的重要课题。在中子壳N=126的最丰质子一侧,极端缺中子的超铀核素处于质子滴线和中子壳的交叉位置,合成和研究该核区核素对研究N=126壳结构的演化性质具有重要意义。基于兰州重离子加速器上的充气反冲核谱仪装置(SHANS),利用36,40Ar+185,187Re熔合蒸发反应,合成了极缺中子的219,220,223,224Np新核素,在中子壳N=126附近首次建立了Np同位素链的$ \alpha$衰变系统性,获得了N=126壳效应在Np同位素链中依然存在的实验证据。依据单质子分离能的系统性分析,确定了Np同位素链中质子滴线的位置,219Np也成为目前已知的最重的质子滴线外核素。此外,基于实验测量的反应截面,并与理论模型的计算结果相比较,讨论了进一步合成该核区其它新核素218,221,222Np的可行性。     

The surface diffuseness and the spin-orbital splitting in relativistic continuum Hartree-Bogoliubov theory

The relativistic continuum Hartree-Bogoliubov (RCHB) theory, which is the extension of the relativistic mean field and the Bogoliubov transformation in the coordinate representation, has been used to study tin isotopes. The pairing correlation is taken into account by a density-dependent force of zero range. The RCHB theory is used to describe the even-even tin isotopes all the way from the proton drip line to the neutron drip line. The contribution of the continuum which is important for nuclei near the drip-line has been taken into account. The theoretical S_2n as well as the neutron, proton, and matter rms radii are presented and compared with the experimental values where they exist. The change of the potential surface with the neutron number has been investigated. The diffuseness of the potentials in tin isotopes is analyzed through the spin-orbital splitting in order to provide new way to understand the halo phenomena in exotic nuclei. The systematic of the isospin and energy dependence of these results are extracted and analyzed.