Background : Several recent experiments report significant low-energy isoscalar monopole strength, below the giant resonance, in various nuclei. In light $α$-conjugate nuclei, these low-energy resonances were recently interpreted as cluster vibration modes. However, the nature of these excitations in neutron-rich nuclei remain elusive.
Purpose : The present work provides a systematic analysis of the low-energy monopole strength in isotopic chains, from Neon to Germanium, in order to monitor and understand its nature and conditions of emergence.
Methods : We perform covariant quasiparticle random phase approximation (QRPA) calculations, formulated within the finite amplitude method (FAM), on top of constrained relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov (RHB) reference states.
Results : Neutron excess leads to the appearance of low-energy excitations according to a systematic pattern reflecting the single-particle features of the underlying RHB reference state. With the onset of deformation, these low-energy resonances get split and give rise to more complex patterns, with possible mixing with the giant resonance. At lower energy, cluster-like excitations found in $N=Z$ systems survive in neutron-rich nuclei, with valence neutrons arranging in molecular-like orbitals. Finally, at very low energy, pair excitations are also found in superfluid nuclei, but remain negligible in most of the cases.
Conclusions : The low-energy part of the monopole strength exhibits various modes, from cluster vibrations ($\sim$ 5-10 MeV) to components of the giant resonance downshifted by the onset of deformation, including soft modes ($\sim$ 10-15 MeV) as well as pair excitation ($<$ 5 MeV), with possible mixing, depending on neutron-excess, deformation, and pairing energy.
Finite amplitude method based on the deformed relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov theory in continuum (DRHBc-FAM) is developed and applied to study isoscalar giant monopole resonance in exotic nuclei. Validation of the numerical implementation is examined for $^{208}\textrm{Pb}$. The isoscalar giant monopole resonances for even-even calcium isotopes from $^{40}\textrm{Ca}$ to the last bound neutron-rich nucleus $^{80}\textrm{Ca}$ are calculated, and a good agreement with the available experimental centroid energies is obtained for $^{40-48}\textrm{Ca}$. For the exotic calcium isotopes, e.g., $^{68…
The isoscalar giant resonances for $^{86}\textrm{Ge}$ are studied by the quasiparticle finite amplitude method based on the covariant density functional theory. In addition to the well-known monopole-quadrupole coupling that splits the isoscalar giant monopole resonance in axially deformed nuclei, a monopole-quadrupole-hexadecupole coupling is identified in the triaxially deformed nucleus $^{86}\textrm{Ge}$, leading to the emergence of a distinct resonance peak at the low energy side of the isoscalar monopole strength function. The transition density of the triaxiality induced resonance peak s…
The particle-hole dispersive optical model, developed recently, is applied to describe properties of high-energy isoscalar monopole excitations in medium-heavy mass spherical nuclei. We consider, in particular, the double transition density averaged over the energy of the isoscalar monopole excitations in $^{208}$Pb in a wide energy interval, which includes the isoscalar giant monopole resonance and its overtone. The energy-averaged strength functions of these resonances are also analyzed. Possibilities for using the mentioned transition density to description of inelastic $α$-scattering are d…
Based on the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov solutions in large deformed coordinate spaces, the finite amplitude method for quasiparticle random phase approximation (FAM-QRPA) has been implemented, providing a suitable approach to probe collective excitations of weakly-bound nuclei embedded in the continuum. The monopole excitation modes in Magnesium isotopes up to the neutron drip line have been studied with the FAM-QRPA framework on both the coordinate-space and harmonic oscillator basis methods. Enhanced soft monopole strengths and collectivity as a result of weak-binding effects have been unambigu…
The isoscalar giant monopole resonance (GMR) in Samarium isotopes (from spherical $^{144}$Sm to deformed $^{148-154}$Sm) is investigated within the Skyrme random-phase-approximation (RPA) for a variety of Skyrme forces. The exact RPA and its separable version (SRPA) are used for spherical and deformed nuclei, respectively. The quadrupole deformation is shown to yield two effects: the GMR broadens and attains a two-peak structure due to the coupling with the quadrupole giant resonance.
We present analytic expressions of the Coulomb interaction between a spherical and a deformed nuclei which are valid for all separation distance. We demonstrate their significant deviations from commonly used formulae in the region inside the Coulomb radius, and show that they remove various shortcomings of the conventional formulae.
We outline a formalism to carry out TDHF calculations of fusion cross sections for spherical + deformed nuclei. The procedure incorporates the dynamic alignment of the deformed nucleus into the calculation of the fusion cross section. The alignment results from multiple E2/E4 Coulomb excitation of the ground state rotational band. Implications for TDHF fusion calculations are discussed. TDHF calculations are done in an unrestricted three-dimensional geometry using modern Skyrme force parametrizations.
A study of the shape transition from spherical to axially deformed nuclei in the even Ce isotopes using the nucleon-pair approximation of the shell model is reported. As long as the structure of the dominant collective pairs is determined using a microscopic framework appropriate to deformed nuclei, the model is able to produce a shape transition. However, the resulting transition is too rapid, with nuclei that should be transitional being fairly well deformed, perhaps reflecting the need to maintain several pairs with each angular momentum.
A phenomenological level density model that has different level density parameter sets for the state densities of the deformed and the spherical states, and the optimization of the parameters using experimental data of the average s-wave neutron resonance spacing are presented. The transition to the spherical state from the deformed one is described using the parameters derived from a microscopic nuclear structure calculation. The nuclear reaction calculation has been performed by the statistical model using the present level density. Resulting cross sections for various reactions with the sph…
We present calculations of ground state properties of spherical, doubly closed-shell nuclei from $^{16}$O to $^{208}$Pb employing the techniques of many-body perturbation theory using a separable density dependent monopole interaction. The model gives results in Hartree-Fock order which are of similar quality to other effective density-dependent interactions. In addition, second and third order perturbation corrections to the binding energy are calculated and are found to contribute small, but non-negligible corrections beyond the mean-field result. The perturbation series converges quickly, s…
The incompressibility of both nuclear matter and finite nuclei is estimated by the monopole compression modes in nuclei in the framework of a nonrelativistic Hartree-Fock-Bogoliyubov method and the coherent density fluctuation model. The monopole states originate from vibrations of the nuclear density. The calculations in the model for the incompressibility in finite nuclei are based on the Brueckner energy-density functional for nuclear matter. Results for the energies of the breathing vibrational states and finite nuclei incompressibilities are obtained for various nuclei and their values ar…
Using an angular momentum projected single particle basis, a pnQRPA approach is used to study the $2νββ$ properties of ten isotopes, exhibiting various quadrupole deformations. The mother and daughter nuclei exhibit different quadrupole deformations. Since the projected basis enables a unified description of deformed and spherical nuclei, situations where the nuclei involved in the double beta decay process are both spherical, both deformed or one spherical and another deformed, can be treated through a sole formalism. Dependence of single $β^-$ and $β^+$ strength distribution on atomic mass n…
The effect of deformation on the excitation of multiple giant dipole resonances is studied. Analytical expressions are derived in the framework of the interacting boson model for the energies and E1 properties of giant dipole resonances in spherical and deformed nuclei, and a numerical treatment of transitional nuclei is proposed. Coulomb-excitation cross sections are calculated in $^{238}$U and in the samarium isotopes.
A new implementation of the finite amplitude method (FAM) for the solution of the relativistic quasiparticle random-phase approximation (RQRPA) is presented, based on the relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov (RHB) model for deformed nuclei. The numerical accuracy and stability of the FAM -- RQRPA is tested in a calculation of the monopole response of $^{22}$O. As an illustrative example, the model is applied to a study of the evolution of monopole strength in the chain of Sm isotopes, including the splitting of the giant monopole resonance in axially deformed systems.
There has been increasing interest in studying the Richardson model from which one can derive the exact solution for certain pairing Hamiltonians. However, it is still a numerical challenge to solve the nonlinear equations involved. In this paper we tackle this problem by employing a simple hybrid polynomial approach. The method is found to be robust and is valid for both deformed and nearly spherical nuclei. It also provides important and convenient initial guesses for spherical systems with large degeneracy. As an example, we apply the method to study the shape coexistence in neutron-rich Ni…
We developed new parameterizations of local regularized finite-range pseudopotentials up to next-to-next-to-next-to-leading order (N3LO), used as generators of nuclear density functionals. When supplemented with zero-range spin-orbit and density-dependent terms, they provide a correct single-reference description of binding energies and radii of spherical and deformed nuclei. We compared the obtained results to experimental data and discussed benchmarks against the standard well-established Gogny D1S functional.
We present an analysis based on the deformed Quasi Particle Random Phase Approximation, on top of a deformed Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov description of the ground state, aimed at studying the isoscalar monopole and quadrupole response in a deformed nucleus. This analysis is motivated by the need of understanding the coupling between the two modes and how it might affect the extraction of the nuclear incompressibility from the monopole distribution. After discussing this motivation, we present the main ingredients of our theoretical framework, and we show some results obtained with the SLy4 and SkM…
Core-particle coupling models are made viable by assuming that core properties such as matrix elements of multipole and pairing operators and excitation spectra are known independently. From the completeness relation, it is seen, however, that these quantities are themselves algebraic functions of the calculated core-particle amplitudes. For the deformed rare-earth nucleus 158Gd, we find that these sum rules are well-satisfied for the ground state band, implying that we have found a self-consistent solution of the non-linear Kerman-Klein equations.
A systematic analysis of the spherical-to-deformed shape phase transition in even-even rare-earth nuclei from $_{58}$Ce to $_{74}$W is carried out in the framework of the interacting boson model. These results are then used to calculate nuclear radii and electric monopole (E0) transitions with the same effective operator. The influence of the hexadecapole degree of freedom ($g$ boson) on the correlation between radii and E0 transitions thus established, is discussed.
We investigate the roles of deformation on the giant monopole resonance (GMR), particularly the mixing of the giant quadrupole resonance (GQR) and the effects of the neutron excess in the well-deformed nuclei around $^{110}$Zr and in the drip-line nuclei around $^{140}$Zr by means of the deformed quasiparticle-random-phase-approximation employing the Skyrme and the local pairing energy-density functionals. It is found that the isoscalar (IS) GMR has a two-peak structure, the lower peak of which is associated with the mixing between the ISGMR and the $K^π=0^{+}$ component of the ISGQR. The tran…
An increasing interest in multinucleon transfer processes in low-energy deep inelastic (damped) collisions of heavy ions appeared in recent years is due, in part, to by the possibility of using them as a method of production of heavy neutron-enriched nuclei. Possible promising projectile-target combinations include nuclei deformed in the ground state (e.g., actinides). Mutual orientations of such the nuclei in the entrance channel of the reaction may significantly influence the reaction dynamics. Available experimental data on multinucleon transfer reactions with statically deformed as well as…
Using deformed shell model based on Hartree-Fock intrinsic states with $^{70}$Zn as an example and employing two realistic effective interactions, namely jj44b that produces deformed shape and JUN45 that generates spherical shape, it is demonstrated that the $0ν$ and $2ν$ nuclear transition matrix elements for double beta decay will reduce considerably as we go from spherical shapes to deformed shapes. This result is further substantiated by using $^{150}$Nd as another example.
The coupled-channel theory is a natural way of treating nonelastic channels, in particular those arising from collective excitations characterized by nuclear deformations. A proper treatment of such excitations is often essential to the accurate description of experimental nuclear-reaction data and to the prediction of a wide variety of scattering observables. Stimulated by recent work substantiating the near validity of the adiabatic approximation in coupled-channel calculations for scattering on statically deformed nuclei, we explore the possibility of generalizing a global spherical optical…
In this paper we model low-lying states of atomic nuclei in the nucleon-pair approximation of the shell model, using three approaches to select collective nucleon pairs: the generalized seniority scheme, the conjugate gradient method, and the Hartree-Fock approach. We find the collective pairs obtained from the generalized seniority scheme provides a good description for nearly spherical nuclei, and those from the conjugate gradient method or the Hartree-Fock approach work well for transitional and deformed nuclei. Our NPA calculations using collective pairs with angular momenta 0, 2, and 4 (d…
Isoscalar monopole transitions from the ground states to cluster states in $\Be$ and $\Li$ are investigated with $\He+α$ and $\He+t$ cluster models, respectively. In $\Be$, significant monopole strengths to $\He+α$ cluster resonances of $\Be(0^+_{3,4})$ above the $α$-decay threshold are obtained, whereas those to $\He+t$ cluster resonances in $^9$Li are not enhanced because of the large fragmentation of the strengths in the corresponding energy region. The monopole transition to $\Be(0^+_2)$ having the molecular orbital structure is relatively weak compared with those to $\He+α$ cluster resona…
Based on the Relativistic Mean Field (RMF) approach the existence of the broken pseudo-spin symmetry is investigated. Both spherical RMF and constrained deformed RMF calculations are carried out employing realistic Lagrangian parameters for spherical and for deformed sample nuclei. The quasi - degenerate pseudo-spin doublets are confirmed to exist near the fermi surface for both spherical and deformed nuclei.
We present an effective field theory (EFT) for a model-independent description of deformed atomic nuclei. In leading order this approach recovers the well-known results from the collective model by Bohr and Mottelson. When higher-order corrections are computed, the EFT accounts for finer details such as the variation of the moment of inertia with the band head and the small magnitudes of interband $E2$ transitions. For rotational bands with a finite spin of the band head, the EFT is equivalent to the theory of a charged particle on the sphere subject to a magnetic monopole field.
A systematic study of energy spectra throughout the rare-earth region (even-even nuclei from $_{58}$Ce to $_{74}$W) is carried out in the framework of the interacting boson model (IBM), leading to an accurate description of the spherical-to-deformed shape transition in the different isotopic chains. The resulting IBM Hamiltonians are then used for the calculation of nuclear charge radii (including isotope and isomer shifts) and electric monopole transitions with consistent operators for the two observables. The main conclusion of this study is that an IBM description of charge radii and electr…
Energies and transition probabilities for low lying states in $^{134}$Ba and $^{104$Ru were calculated within a hybrid model.The ground and the first $2^+$ states are described alternatively as a harmonic and anharmonic vibrator states while the remaining states as states with E(5) symmetry. One concludes that a gradual setting of the 'critical' potential yields a better agreement with the experimental data. Very good agreement with the data is obtained for $^{104}$Ru. Comparing the present results with those of E(5) symmetry, it is conspicuous that the present formalism add corrections to the…
Based on the competition between $γ$-stable and $γ$-rigid collective motions mediated by a rigidity parameter, a two-parameter exactly separable version of the Bohr Hamiltonian is proposed. The $γ$-stable part of the Hamiltonian is restricted to stiff oscillations around the $γ$ value of the rigid motion. The separated potential for $β$ and $γ$ shape variables is chosen such that in the lower limit of this parameter, the model recovers exactly the ES-$X(5)$ model, while in the upper limit it tends to the prolate $γ$-rigid solution $X(3)$. The combined effect of the rigidity and stiffness param…
We study the spin-parity distribution P(J$^π$,E) of $^{156}$Gd excited states above the neutron separation energy that are expected to be populated via the neutron pickup reaction $^{157}$Gd($^{3}$He,$^{4}$He)$^{156}$Gd. In general, modeling of the spin-parity distribution is important for the applicability of the surrogate reaction technique as a method of deducing reaction cross sections. We model excited states in $^{156}$Gd as rotational states built on intrinsic states consisting of a hole in the core where the hole represents neutron removal form a deformed single particle state. The rea…
We motivate and summarise some recent results in the application of formally exact boundary conditions in nuclear time-dependent Hartree-Fock calculations, making use of Laplace transformations to calculate the values of the wave functions at the boundaries. We have realised the method in the case of giant monopole resonances of spherically-symmetric nuclei, and present strength functions of O-16 and Ca-40 using a simplified version of the Skyrme force, showing that no artefacts from discretisation occur as contaminants
Magnetic form factors corresponding to elastic electron scattering from odd-A nuclei are presented. The calculations are carried out in plane-wave Born approximation. The one-body properties are obtained in a deformed self-consistent mean-field calculation based on a Skyrme HF+BCS method. Collective effects are also included in the cranking approximation. Results on several stable nuclei are compared with the available experimental information. It is shown that a deformed formalism improves the agreement with experiment in deformed nuclei, while reproducing equally well spherical nuclei by tak…
Spectroscopic observables such as electromagnetic transitions strengths can be related to the properties of the intrinsic mean-field wave function when the latter are strongly deformed, but the standard rotational formulas break down when the deformation decreases. Nevertheless there is a well-defined, non-zero, spherical limit that can be evaluated in terms of overlaps of mean-field intrinsic deformed wave functions. We examine the transition between the spherical limit and strongly deformed one for a range of nuclei comparing the two limiting formulas with exact projection results. We find a…
Large scale shell model calculations, with dimensions reaching 10**9, are carried out to describe the recently observed deformed (ND) and superdeformed (SD) bands based on the first and second excited 0+ states of 40-Ca at 3.35-MeV and 5.21-MeV respectively. A valence space comprising two major oscillator shells, sd and pf, can accommodate most of the relevant degrees of freedom of this problem. The ND band is dominated by configurations with four particles promoted to the pf-shell (4p-4h in short). The SD band by 8p-8h configurations. The ground state of 40-Ca is strongly correlated, but the …
We previously proposed a formula for calculating the Coulomb energy of spherical nucleus with Wood-Saxon charge distribution. In this work, the analytical formula is extended for description of the Coulomb energy of nucleus with beta2 deformation.
The deformed relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov theory in continuum with the density-dependent meson-nucleon couplings is developed. The formulism is briefly presented with the emphasis on handling the density-dependent couplings, meson fields, and potentials in axially deformed system with partial wave method. Taking the neutron-rich nucleus $^{38}$Mg as an example, the newly developed code is verified by the spherical relativistic continuum Hartree-Bogoliubov calculations, where only the spherical components of the densities are considered. When the deformation is included self-consistently, it…
We present an efficient method for calculating strength functions using the finite amplitude method (FAM) for deformed superfluid heavy nuclei within the framework of the nuclear density functional theory. We demonstrate that FAM reproduces strength functions obtained with the fully self-consistent quasi-particle random-phase approximation (QRPA) at a fraction of computational cost. As a demonstration, we compute the isoscalar and isovector monopole strength for strongly deformed configurations in $^{240}$Pu by considering huge quasi-particle QRPA spaces. Our approach to FAM, based on Broyden'…
Elliptic flow ($v_2$) fluctuations in central heavy-ion collisions are direct probes of the fluctuating geometry of the quark-gluon plasma, and, as such, are strongly sensitive to any deviation from spherical symmetry in the shape of the colliding nuclei. We investigate the consequences of nuclear deformation for $v_2$ fluctuations, and we assess whether current models of medium geometry are able to predict and capture such effects. Assuming linear hydrodynamic response between $v_2$ and the eccentricity of the medium, $\varepsilon_2$, we perform accurate comparisons between model calculations…
