Configuration mixing of angular-momentum projected triaxial relativistic mean-field wave functions. II. Microscopic analysis of low-lying states in magnesium isotopes

The recently developed structure model that uses the generator coordinate method to perform configuration mixing of angular-momentum projected wave functions, generated by constrained self-consistent relativistic mean-field calculations for triaxial shapes (3DAMP+GCM), is applied in a systematic study of ground states and low-energy collective states in the even-even magnesium isotopes $^{20-40}$Mg. Results obtained using a relativistic point-coupling nucleon-nucleon effective interaction in the particle-hole channel, and a density-independent $\delta$-interaction in the pairing channel, are compared to data and with previous axial 1DAMP+GCM calculations, both with a relativistic density functional and the non-relativistic Gogny force. The effects of the inclusion of triaxial degrees of freedom on the low-energy spectra and E2 transitions of magnesium isotopes are examined.Comment: 28 pages, 11 figures and 1 tabl

Beyond the relativistic mean-field approximation (II): configuration mixing of mean-field wave functions projected on angular momentum and particle number

The framework of relativistic self-consistent mean-field models is extended to include correlations related to the restoration of broken symmetries and to fluctuations of collective variables. The generator coordinate method is used to perform configuration mixing of angular-momentum and particle-number projected relativistic wave functions. The geometry is restricted to axially symmetric shapes, and the intrinsic wave functions are generated from the solutions of the relativistic mean-field + Lipkin-Nogami BCS equations, with a constraint on the mass quadrupole moment. The model employs a relativistic point-coupling (contact) nucleon-nucleon effective interaction in the particle-hole channel, and a density-independent $\delta$-interaction in the pairing channel. Illustrative calculations are performed for $^{24}$Mg, $^{32}$S and $^{36}$Ar, and compared with results obtained employing the model developed in the first part of this work, i.e. without particle-number projection, as well as with the corresponding non-relativistic models based on Skyrme and Gogny effective interactions.Comment: 37 pages, 10 figures, submitted to Physical Review

Beyond the relativistic mean-field approximation: configuration mixing of angular momentum projected wave functions

We report the first study of restoration of rotational symmetry and fluctuations of the quadrupole deformation in the framework of relativistic mean-field models. A model is developed which uses the generator coordinate method to perform configuration mixing calculations of angular momentum projected wave functions, calculated in a relativistic point-coupling model. The geometry is restricted to axially symmetric shapes, and the intrinsic wave functions are generated from the solutions of the constrained relativistic mean-field + BCS equations in an axially deformed oscillator basis. A number of illustrative calculations are performed for the nuclei 194Hg and 32Mg, in comparison with results obtained in non-relativistic models based on Skyrme and Gogny effective interactions.Comment: 32 pages, 14 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Fission barriers in actinides in covariant density functional theory: the role of triaxiality

Relativistic mean field theory allowing for triaxial deformations is applied for a systematic study of fission barriers in the actinide region. Different pairing schemes are studied in details and it is shown that covariant density functional theory is able to describe fission barriers on a level of accuracy comparable with non-relativistic calculations, even with the best phenomenological macroscopic+microscopic approaches. Triaxiality in the region of the first saddle plays a crucial role in achieving that.Comment: 11 pages, 13 figure

Fission barriers in covariant density functional theory: extrapolation to superheavy nuclei

Systematic calculations of fission barriers allowing for triaxial deformation are performed for even-even superheavy nuclei with charge number $Z=112-120$ using three classes of covariant density functional models. The softness of nuclei in the triaxial plane leads to an emergence of several competing fission pathes in the region of the inner fission barrier in some of these nuclei. The outer fission barriers are considerably affected by triaxiality and octupole deformation. General trends of the evolution of the inner and the outer fission barrier heights are discussed as a function of the particle numbers.Comment: 24 pages, 8 tables, 12 figure

Bimodality as a signal of Liquid-Gas phase transition in nuclei?

We use the HIPSE (Heavy-Ion Phase-Space Exploration) Model to discuss the origin of the bimodality in charge asymmetry observed in nuclear reactions around the Fermi energy. We show that it may be related to the important angular momentum (spin) transferred into the quasi-projectile before secondary decay. As the spin overcomes the critical value, a sudden opening of decay channels is induced and leads to a bimodal distribution for the charge asymmetry. In the model, it is not assigned to a liquid-gas phase transition but to specific instabilities in nuclei with high spin. Therefore, we propose to use these reactions to study instabilities in rotating nuclear droplets.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures Accepted to PR

Solving the Richardson equations for Fermions

Forty years ago Richardson showed that the eigenstates of the pairing Hamiltonian with constant interaction strength can be calculated by solving a set of non-linear coupled equations. However, in the case of Fermions these equations lead to singularities which made them very hard to solve. This letter explains how these singularities can be avoided through a change of variables making the Fermionic pairing problem numerically solvable for arbitrary single particle energies and degeneracies.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Phys.Rev.

Microscopic Study of the Isoscalar Giant Monopole Resonance in Cd, Sn and Pb Isotopes

The isoscalar giant monopole resonance (ISGMR) in Cd, Sn and Pb isotopes has been studied within the self-consistent Skyrme Hartree-Fock+BCS and quasi-particle random phase approximation (QRPA). Three Skyrme parameter sets are used in the calculations, i.e., SLy5, SkM* and SkP, since they are characterized by different values of the compression modulus in symmetric nuclear matter, namely K=230, 217, and 202 MeV, respectively. We also investigate the effect of different types of pairing forces on the ISGMR in Cd, Sn and Pb isotopes. The calculated peak energies and the strength distributions of ISGMR are compared with available experimental data. We find that SkP fails completely to describe the ISGMR strength distribution for all isotopes due to its low value of the nuclear matter incompressibility, namely K=202 MeV. On the other hand, the SLy5 parameter set, supplemented by an appropriate pairing interaction, gives a reasonable description of the ISGMR in Cd and Pb isotopes. A better description of ISGMR in Sn isotopes is achieved by the SkM* interaction, that has a somewhat softer value of the nuclear incompressibility.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev.

Recent progress in the study of fission barriers in covariant density functional theory

Recent progress in the study of fission barriers of actinides and superheavy nuclei within covariant density functional theory is overviewed.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures. In press in International Journal of Modern Physics

Analysis of the Strong Coupling Limit of the Richardson Hamiltonian using the Dyson Mapping

The Richardson Hamiltonian describes superconducting correlations in a metallic nanograin. We do a perturbative analysis of this and related Hamiltonians, around the strong pairing limit, without having to invoke Bethe Ansatz solvability. Rather we make use of a boson expansion method known as the Dyson mapping. Thus we uncover a selection rule that facilitates both time-independent and time-dependent perturbation expansions. In principle the model we analise is realised in a very small metalic grain of a very regular shape. The results we obtain point to subtleties sometimes neglected when thinking of the superconducting state as a Bose-Einstein condensate. An appendix contains a general presentation of time-independent perturbation theory for operators with degenerate spectra, with recursive formulas for corrections of arbitrarily high orders.Comment: New final version accepted for publication in PRB. 17 two-column pages, no figure