VAMPIR calculations for 128Ba and 130Ce: Two mechanisms of backbending

Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov calculations with spin and number projection before the variation (VAMPIR) are performed for the nuclei ¹²⁸Ba and ¹³⁰Ce using a slightly renormalized Brueckner G-matrix as effective interaction in a rather large single-particle basis. The results are compared to those of Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov calculations with projection after the variation, those of multiconfiguration calculations (MONSTER) and to experiment. In both nuclei the VAMPIR and the MONSTER approaches turn out to be of about the same quality and agree rather well with the experimental data. Analysis of the VAMPIR mean fields reveals that two somewhat different mechanisms are responsible for the backbending observed in the yrast bands of the two nuclei. While in ¹³⁰Ce the well-known alignment of two high-j quasiparticles (proton $\text{h}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>11</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$) is found, in ¹²⁸Ba first a neutron pair is scattered from the $\text{h}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>11</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$ to the $\text{g}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>7</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$ orbit, and then the larger alignment energy of the less occupied neutron $\text{h}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>11</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$ states produces the backbend. This latter effect is in agreement with the predictions of a simple model presented by us some years ago.