DOE OSTI · 3374987
Nuclear shell structure governs short-range nucleon pairing
Abstract
Atomic nuclei are intricate quantum systems in which nucleons (protons and neutrons) are held together by the strong nuclear force. At very short distances, nucleons can momentarily form high-momentum pairs—known as short-range-correlated pairs—that shape the high-momentum structure of nuclear matter. Studying how nucleons form short-range-correlated pairs provides a rare experimental window into the short-distance behaviour of the strong interaction. Here, in this study, we use the scattering of high-energy electrons from 40 Ca, 48 Ca and 54 Fe, chosen for their distinct shell structures, to probe the formation of short-range-correlated pairs. Unexpectedly, we find that short-range-correlated pairing depends far more on the specific quantum orbitals occupied by protons and neutrons than on the nuclear mass or neutron–proton imbalance. This dependence is much stronger than that predicted by theoretical models. Our results point to a need for new angular-momentum quantum selection rules governing short-range nucleon pairing and reveal a deep connection between long-range nuclear shell structure and short-range interactions.
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Nguyen, D. [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (TJNAF), Newport News, VA (United States); Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)], Yero, C. [Old Dominion Univ., Norfolk, VA (United States); The Catholic Univ. of America, Washington, DC (United States)], Szumila-Vance, H. [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (TJNAF), Newport News, VA (United States); Florida International Univ. (FIU), Miami, FL (United States)] (ORCID:0000000325484016), Hauenstein, F. [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (TJNAF), Newport News, VA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000212652212), Swan, N. [Old Dominion Univ., Norfolk, VA (United States)], Weinstein, L. B. [Old Dominion Univ., Norfolk, VA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000154162900), Kahlbow, J. [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States); Tel Aviv Univ., Tel Aviv (Israel); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)], Miller, G. A. [Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000324433639), Schmidt, A. [George Washington Univ., Washington, DC (United States)] (ORCID:0000000211092954), Piasetzky, E. [Tel Aviv Univ., Tel Aviv (Israel)], Hen, O. [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000248906544), Ayerbe Gayoso, C. [Old Dominion Univ., Norfolk, VA (United States); College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000186405380), Cohen, E. [Tel Aviv Univ., Tel Aviv (Israel); Israel Atomic Energy Commission (IAEC), Beer Sheva (Israel). Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center (NRCN)] (ORCID:0000000160693409), Datta, P. [Univ. of Connecticut, Storrs, CT (United States)] (ORCID:0000000159548204), Denniston, A. [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)], Devkota, B. R. [Mississippi State Univ., Mississippi State, MS (United States)] (ORCID:0000000228595961), Diefenthaler, M. [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (TJNAF), Newport News, VA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000247174484), Fogler, C. [Old Dominion Univ., Norfolk, VA (United States)], Gamage, B. R. [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (TJNAF), Newport News, VA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000165121960), Higinbotham, D. [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (TJNAF), Newport News, VA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000327586526), Korover, I. [Tel Aviv Univ., Tel Aviv (Israel)], Morean, C. [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)], Nycz, M. [Univ. of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA (United States)], Satnik, M. [College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA (United States)], Seeds, S. [Univ. of Connecticut, Storrs, CT (United States)], Sharp, P. [George Washington Univ., Washington, DC (United States)], Suresh, M. [Hampton Univ., Hampton, VA (United States)], Tadepalli, A. S. [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (TJNAF), Newport News, VA (United States)], Wagner, R. [Tel Aviv Univ., Tel Aviv (Israel)] (ORCID:0009000802116396), Wertz, E. W. [College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA (United States)]. 2026-06-03. Nuclear shell structure governs short-range nucleon pairing. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10616-2
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