Proton-Neutron Pairs in Heavy Deformed Nuclei

The microscopic justification of the emergence of SU(3) symmetry in heavy nuclei remains an interesting problem. In the past, the pseudo-SU(3) approach has been used, with considerable success. Recent results seem to suggest that the key for understanding the emergence of SU(3) symmetry lies in the properties of the proton-neutron interaction, namely in the formation of (S=1, T=0) p-n pairs in heavy nuclei, especially when the numbers of valence protons and valence neutrons are nearly equal. Although this idea has been around for many years, since the introduction of the Federman-Pittel mechanism, it is only recently that information about the p-n interaction could be obtained from nuclear masses, which become available from modern facilities. Based on this information, a new coupling scheme for heavy deformed nuclei has been suggested and is under development.Comment: 12 pages, 3 table

Particle-hole symmetry breaking due to Pauli blocking

Particle-hole symmetry has been used on several occasions in nuclear structure over the years. We prove that particle-hole symmetry is broken in nuclear shells possessing the proxy-SU(3) symmetry. The breaking of the symmetry is rooted in the Pauli principle and the short range nature of the nucleon-nucleon interaction. The breaking of the symmetry explains the dominance of prolate over oblate shapes in deformed nuclei and determines the regions of prolate to oblate shape transitions in the nuclear chart. Furthermore, it is related to the existence of specific regions of shape coexistence across the nuclear chart, surrounded by regions in which shape coexistence does not occur.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures, to appear in HNPS: Advances in Nuclear Physics: Proceedings of the 27th Annual Symposium of the Hellenic Nuclear Physics Society (Athens, 2018), ed. T. Mertzimekis, G. Souliotis, and E. Styliari

Why do Nilsson quantum numbers remain good at moderate deformations?

The Nilsson model is a simple microscopic model which has been extensively used over the years for the interpretation of a bulk of experimental results. The single particle orbitals in this model are labeled by quantum numbers which are good in the limit of large nuclear deformations. However, it is generally admitted that these quantum numbers remain good even at moderate deformations. We show that this fact is due to the existence of an underlying approximate symmetry, called the proxy-SU(3) symmetry. The implications of proxy-SU(3) on various aspects of nuclear structure will be discussed.Comment: 11 pages, 1 figure, to appear in Nuclear Theory '37, Proceedings of the 37th International Workshop on Nuclear Theory (Rila 2018), ed. M. Gaidarov and N. Minko

Nucleon numbers for nuclei with shape coexistence

We consider two competing sets of nuclear magic numbers, namely the harmonic oscillator (HO) set (2, 8, 20, 40, 70, 112, 168, 240,...) and the set corresponding to the proxy-SU(3) scheme, possessing shells 0-2, 2-4, 6-12, 14-26, 28-48, 50-80, 82-124, 126-182, 184-256... The two sets provide 0+ bands with different deformation and band-head energies. We show that for proton (neutron) numbers starting from the regions where the quadrupole-quadrupole interaction, as derived by the HO, becomes weaker than the one obtained in the proxy-SU(3) scheme, to the regions of HO shell closure, the shape coexistence phenomenon may emerge. Our analysis suggests that the possibility for appearance of shape coexistence has to be investigated in the following regions of proton (neutron) numbers: 8, 18-20, 34-40, 60-70, 96-112, 146-168, 210-240,...Comment: 8 pages, 1 figure, to appear in HNPS: Advances in Nuclear Physics: Proceedings of the 27th Annual Symposium of the Hellenic Nuclear Physics Society (Athens, 2018), ed. T. Mertzimekis, G. Souliotis, and E. Styliari

Magic numbers for shape coexistence

The increasing deformation in atomic nuclei leads to the change of the classical magic numbers (2,8,20,28,50,82..) which dictate the arrangement of nucleons in complete shells. The magic numbers of the three-dimensional harmonic oscillator (2,8,20,40,70...) emerge at deformations around epsilon=0.6. At lower deformations the two sets of magic numbers antagonize, leading to shape coexistence. A quantitative investigation is performed using the usual Nilsson model wave functions and the recently introduced proxy-SU(3) scheme.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, to appear in HNPS: Advances in Nuclear Physics: Proceedings of the 27th Annual Symposium of the Hellenic Nuclear Physics Society (Athens, 2018), ed. T. Mertzimekis, G. Souliotis, and E. Styliari

Proxy-SU(3) symmetry in heavy nuclei: Foundations

An approximate SU(3) symmetry appears in heavy deformed even-even nuclei, by omitting the intruder Nilsson orbital of highest total angular momentum and replacing the rest of the intruder orbitals by the orbitals which have escaped to the next lower major shell. The approximation is based on the fact that there is a one-to-one correspondence between the orbitals of the two sets, based on pairs of orbitals having identical quantum numbers of orbital angular momentum, spin, and total angular momentum. The accuracy of the approximation is tested through calculations in the framework of the Nilsson model in the asymptotic limit of large deformations, focusing attention on the changes in selection rules and in avoided crossings caused by the opposite parity of the proxies with respect to the substituted orbitals.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure, 3 tables, Proceedings of the 4th Workshop of the Hellenic Institute of Nuclear Physics on New Aspects and Perspectives in Nuclear Physics (HINPw4),Ioannina, Greece, 5-6 May 2017, ed. A. Pako

A symmetry for heavy nuclei: Proxy-SU(3)

The SU(3) symmetry realized by J. P. Elliott in the sd nuclear shell is destroyed in heavier shells by the strong spin-orbit interaction. However, the SU(3) symmetry has been used for the description of heavy nuclei in terms of bosons in the framework of the Interacting Boson Approximation, as well as in terms of fermions using the pseudo-SU(3) approximation. We introduce a new fermionic approximation, called the proxy-SU(3), and we comment on its similarities and differences with the other approaches.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, Proceedings of the 4th Workshop of the Hellenic Institute of Nuclear Physics on New Aspects and Perspectives in Nuclear Physics (HINPw4),Ioannina, Greece, 5-6 May 2017, ed. A. Pako

Foundations of the proxy-SU(3) symmetry in heavy nuclei

We show that within the proxy-SU(3) scheme the wave functions of the normal parity orbitals in a given nuclear shell are affected very little as a result of the replacement of the abnormal parity orbitals by their 0[110] proxy-SU(3) counterparts.Comment: 9 pages, 5 tables, to appear in the proceedings of the Workshop on Shapes and Dynamics of Atomic Nuclei: Contemporary Aspects (SDANCA17, Sofia 2017), ed. N. Minko

Parameter-independent predictions for shape variables of heavy deformed nuclei in the proxy-SU(3) model

Using a new approximate analytic parameter-free proxy-SU(3) scheme, we make predictions of shape observables for deformed nuclei, namely beta and gamma deformation variables, and compare these with empirical data and with predictions by relativistic and non-relativistic mean-field theories.Comment: 6 pages, 11 figures, Proceedings of the 4th Workshop of the Hellenic Institute of Nuclear Physics on New Aspects and Perspectives in Nuclear Physics (HINPw4),Ioannina, Greece, 5-6 May 2017, ed. A. Pako

Parameter free predictions within the proxy-SU(3) model

Using a new approximate analytic parameter-free proxy-SU(3) scheme, we make predictions of shape observables for deformed nuclei, namely beta and gamma deformation variables, and compare them with empirical data and with predictions by relativistic and non-relativistic mean-field theories. Furthermore, analytic expressions are derived for B(E2) ratios within the proxy-SU(3) model, free of any free parameters, and/or scaling factors. The predicted B(E2) ratios are in good agreement with the experimental data for deformed rare earth nuclides.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, to appear in the proceedings of the Workshop on Shapes and Dynamics of Atomic Nuclei: Contemporary Aspects (SDANCA17, Sofia 2017), ed. N. Minko