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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2015

Recent Results at Ultrahigh Spin: Terminating States and Beyond in Mass 160 Rare-earth Nuclei

A classic region of band termination at high spin occurs in rare-earth nuclei with around ten valence nucleons above the < sup > 146 < /sup > Gd closed core. Results are presented here for such non-collective oblate (γ = 60°) terminating states in odd-Z < sup > 155 < /sup > Ho, odd-odd < sup > 156 < /sup > Ho, and even-even < sup > 156 < /sup > Er, where they are compared with neighbouring nuclei. In addition to these particularly favoured states, the occurrence of collective triaxial strongly deformed (TSD) bands, bypassing the terminating states and extending to over 65h, is reviewed.

Paul, E. S.↗
DOE OSTI2015

Derivation of an optical potential for statically deformed rare-earth nuclei from a global spherical potential

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 model potential (OMP) to make it usable in coupled-channel calculations on this class of nuclei. To do this, we have deformed the Koning-Delaroche global spherical potential for neutrons, coupling a sufficient number of states of the ground state band to ensure convergence. We present an extensive study of the effects of collective couplings and nuclear deformations on integrated cross sections as well as on angular distributions for neutron-induced reactions on statically deformed nuclei in the rare-earth region. We choose isotopes of three rare-earth elements (Gd, Ho, W), which are known to be nearly perfect rotors, to exemplify the results of the proposed method. Predictions from our model for total, elastic and inelastic cross sections, as well as for elastic and inelastic angular distributions, are in reasonable agreement with measured experimental data. In conclusion, these results suggest that the deformed Koning-Delaroche potential provides a useful regional neutron optical potential for the statically deformed rare earth nuclei.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Observations of the Gamow-Teller resonance in the rare-earth nuclei above Gd 146 populated in β decay

In the rare-earth region of the nuclear table around the quasi-doubly magic nucleus Gd-146 is one of the very few places in which the Gamow-Teller (GT) resonance can be populated in beta decay. The appropriate technique to study such a phenomenon is the total absorption spectroscopy, thanks to which one can measure the B(GT) distribution in beta-decay experiments even when it is very fragmented and lies at high excitation energy in the daughter nucleus. These results on the GT resonance measured in the beta decay of the odd-Z, N = 83 nuclei Tb-148, Ho-150, and Tm-152 are presented in this work and compared with shell-model calculations. The tail of the resonance is clearly observed up to the limit imposed by the Q value. Our observation is important in the context of the understanding of the "quenching" of the GT strength.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Rotational excitations in rare-earth nuclei: A comparative study within three cranking models with different mean fields and treatments of pairing correlations

High-spin rotational bands in rare-earth Er (Z = 68), Tm (Z = 69), and Yb (Z = 70) isotopes are investigated by three different nuclear models. These are (i) the cranked relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov (CRHB) approach with approximate particle number projection by means of the Lipkin-Nogami (LN) method, (ii) the cranking covariant density functional theory (CDFT) with pairing correlations treated by a shell-model-like approach (SLAP) or the so-called particle-number conserving (PNC) method, and (iii) cranked shell model (CSM) based on the Nilsson potential with pairing correlations treated by the PNC method. A detailed comparison between these three models in the description of the ground-state rotational bands of even-even Er and Yb isotopes is performed. The similarities and differences between these models in the description of the moments of inertia, the features of band crossings, and equilibrium deformations and pairing energies of the even-even nuclei under study are discussed. These quantities are considered as a function of rotational frequency and proton and neutron numbers. The changes in the properties of the first band crossings with increasing neutron number in this mass region are investigated. On average, a comparable accuracy of the description of available experimental data is achieved in these models. However, the differences between model predictions become larger above the first band crossings. Because of the time-consuming nature of numerical calculations in the CDFT-based models, a systematic study of the rotational properties of both ground-state and excited-state bands in odd-mass Tm nuclei is carried out only by the PNC-SCM. With few exceptions, the rotational properties of experimental 1-quasiparticle and 3-quasiparticle bands in 165,167,169,171 Tm are reproduced reasonably well. As a result, the appearance of backbendings or upbendings in these nuclei is well understood from the analysis of the variations of the occupation probabilities of the single-particle states and their contributions to total angular momentum alignment with rotational frequency.

150 ≤ A ≤ 189↗
DOE OSTI2013

EXOTIC BEHAVIOR AT ULTRAHIGH SPIN VALUES IN LIGHT RARE-EARTH N~90 NUCLEI

The light rare-earth nuclei near N = 90, e.g. 158Er, are textbook examples of the evolution of nuclear structure with excitation energy and angular momentum. They display a variety of different phenomena, such as, multiple backbends, dramatic shape changes and band termination. However, after several decades of trying, it is only in the last few years that we have been able to observe structures beyond band termination. A spectacular return to collectivity has been found to take place extending discrete gamma-ray spectroscopy into the so-called “ultrahigh-spin regime” (I = 50-70). These sequences, observed in 157,158Er, were initially interpreted as being associated with a particularly stable and energetically favored strongly deformed triaxial shape minimum. However recent quadrupole moment measurements appear to be inconsistent with this early suggestion and have generated a good deal of theoretical discussion. This surprising observation is discussed along with news on similar structures in other neighboring nuclei.

Radford, David C.↗
DOE OSTI2015

Enhanced α-particle optical potential at low energies, for the mass range A∼45-209

An updated optical potential is thus provided for α-particles on nuclei within the mass number range 45≤A≤209, below the Coulomb barrier (B), on the basis of recent high-precision measurements of α-particle induced reaction data below B that made possible the understanding of actual limits and possible improvement of the α-particle optical-model potentials. The main revision concerns actually only the surface imaginary potential depth at the lowest α-particle energies well below B, and in fact only for the mass range above A∼130. A further regional point is the underestimation of reaction cross sections for the rare-earth nuclei by using the spherical optical potential unless a 7% larger value of the surface imaginary potential radius is taken into account. Involvement of this potential for further description of both the scattering and α-particles induced reactions is moreover discussed in the present work, of equal interest for nuclear astrophysics and nuclear technology for fusion devices.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2018

The Nuclear Spin Scissors Mode—Theory and Experiment

A new type of nuclear collective motion—the spin scissors mode—was predicted seven years ago. Promising signs of its existence in {sup 232}Th were found. We perform a systematic analysis of experimental data on M1 excitations in rare earth nuclei to find traces of the spin scissors mode in this area. Obvious signs of its existence will be demonstrated. We propose new criteria to attribute the observed 1{sup +} states to the scissors mode, entailing that the agreement of the experimental data with the results of our calculations and with the sum rules is improved substantially.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Backbending, seniority, and Pauli blocking of pairing correlations at high rotational frequencies in rapidly rotating nuclei

Garrett et al. systematically investigated band-crossing frequencies resulting from the rotational alignment of the first pair of $i_{13/2}$ neutrons (AB) in rare-earth nuclei. In that study, evidence was found for an odd-even neutron number dependence attributed to changes in the strength of neutron pairing correlations. The present paper carries out a similar investigation at higher rotational frequencies for the second pair of aligning $i_{13/2}$ neutrons (BC). Again, a systematic difference in band-crossing frequencies is observed between odd-$N$ and even-$N$ Er, Yb, Hf, and W nuclei, but in the BC case, it is opposite to the AB neutron-number dependence. These results are discussed in terms of a reduction of neutron pairing correlations at high rotational frequencies and of the effects of Pauli blocking on the pairing field by higher-seniority configurations. Also playing a significant role are the changes in deformation with proton and neutron numbers, the changes in location of single-particle orbitals as a function of quadrupole deformation, and the position of the Fermi surface with regard to the various Ω components of the neutron $i_{13/2}$ shell.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Observing the effects of numbers of valence nucleons on 0$^{+}_{𝑔⁡𝑠}$ → 2$^{+}_{1}$ transitions in deformed nuclei by comparing proton and neutron transition matrix elements

We examined the ratios of neutron and proton transition matrix elements, 𝑀 𝑛 /𝑀 𝑝 , for the 0$^{+}_{𝑔⁡𝑠}$ → 2$^{+}_{1}$ transitions in 48 even-even stable nuclei with 𝑁 > 20 for which electromagnetic matrix elements were compiled by Pritychenko et al. and for which high-quality inelastic proton-scattering data were available. Several deformed rare-earth nuclei have (𝑀 𝑛 /𝑀 𝑝 )/(𝑁/𝑍) values significantly below 1.0, which is not consistent with a simple liquid-drop picture. However, this phenomenon can be explained using a schematic picture in which 𝑀 𝑝 reaches a maximum at proton midshell (𝑍 = 66) and 𝑀𝑛 reaches its maximum at neutron midshell (𝑁 = 104). Several midmass vibrational nuclei have 𝑀 𝑛 /𝑀 𝑝 values significantly below 𝑁/𝑍, which is not consistent with the expectation that 𝑀 𝑛 /𝑀 𝑝 = 𝑁/𝑍 in such nuclei. As a result, a shell-model investigation of these observations might yield insights about this behavior.

Collective levels↗
DOE OSTI2015

Extended tests of an SU(3) partial dynamical symmetry

Background: A recent survey of well-deformed rare earth nuclei showed that B(E2) values from the γ band to the ground band could be explained rather well by a parameter-free description in terms of a partial dynamical symmetry (PDS). Purpose: Our purpose in this paper is to extend this study to deformed and transitional nuclei in the actinide and A ~ 100 regions to determine if the success of the PDS description is general in medium- and heavy-mass nuclei and to investigate further where it breaks down. Method: As with the previous study we study the empirical relative B(E2 : γ to ground) values in comparison to a pure rotor (Alaga) model and to the SU(3) PDS. Results: The data for the actinides, albeit sparser than in the rare-earth region, are reasonably well accounted for by the PDS but with systematic discrepancies. For the Mo isotopes, the PDS improves on the Alaga rules but largely fails to account for the data. Conclusions: As in the rare earths, the parameter-free PDS gives improved predictions compared to the Alaga rules for the actinides. The differences between the PDS predictions and the data are shown to point directly to specific mixing effects. Finally, in the Mo isotopes, their transitional character is directly seen in the large deviations of the B(E2) values from the PDS in the direction of the selection rules of the vibrator.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

The role of seniority-zero states in nuclear level densities

At low excitation energies seniority-zero states dominate the level density of K=0 bands in deformed even–even nuclei, while they play no role at higher excitation energies. We describe the level densities in a Fermi-gas model as well as in a combinatorial level-density model and compare to detailed experimental data for some rare-earth nuclei.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Measurement of a Large Chemical Reaction Rate between Ultracold Closed-Shell {sup 40}Ca Atoms and Open-Shell {sup 174}Yb{sup +} Ions Held in a Hybrid Atom-Ion Trap

Ultracold {sup 174}Yb{sup +} ions and {sup 40}Ca atoms are confined in a hybrid trap. The charge exchange chemical reaction rate constant between these two species is measured and found to be 4 orders of magnitude larger than recent measurements in other heteronuclear systems. The structure of the CaYb{sup +} molecule is determined and used in a calculation that explains the fast chemical reaction as a consequence of strong radiative charge transfer. A possible explanation is offered for the apparent contradiction between typical theoretical predictions and measurements of the radiative association process in this and other recent experiments.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗