Quasiparticle-vibration coupling in relativistic framework: shell structure of Z=120 isotopes

For the first time, the shell structure of open-shell nuclei is described in a fully self-consistent extension of the covariant energy density functional theory. The approach implies quasiparticle-vibration coupling for superfluid systems. One-body Dyson equation formulated in the doubled quasiparticle space of Dirac spinors is solved for nucleonic propagators in tin isotopes which represent the reference case: the obtained energies of the single-quasiparticle levels and their spectroscopic amplitudes are in agreement with data. The model is applied to describe the shell evolution in a chain of superheavy isotopes $^{292,296,300,304}$120 and finds a rather stable proton spherical shell closure at Z = 120. An interplay of the pairing correlations and the quasiparticle-phonon coupling gives rise for a smooth evolution of the neutron shell gap between N = 172 and N = 184 neutron numbers. Vibrational corrections to the alpha decay energies reach several hundred keV and can be either positive and negative, thus also smearing the shell effects.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure

Spectroscopy of the heaviest nuclei (theory)

Recent progress in the applications of covariant density functional theory (CDFT) to the description of the spectroscopy of the heaviest nuclei is reviewed. The analysis of quasiparticle spectra in actinides and the heaviest A ~ 250 nuclei provides a measure of the accuracy of the description of single-particle energies in CDFT and an additional constraint for the choice of effective interactions for the description of superheavy nuclei. The response of these nuclei to the rotation is rather well described by cranked relativistic Hartree+Bogoliubov theory and it serves as a supplementary tool in configuration assignment in odd-mass nuclei. A systematic analysis of the fission barriers with allowance for triaxial deformation shows that covariant density functional theory is able to describe fission barriers on a level of accuracy comparable with the best phenomenological macroscopic+microscopic approaches.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, invited talk of A.V. Afanasjev at the International Nuclear Physics Conference (INPC 2010), Vancouver, Canada, July 4-9, 2010, to be published in Journal of Physics G: Conference Series (JPCS

Self-consistent calculations within the Extended Theory of Finite Fermi Systems

The Extended Theory of Finite Fermi Systems(ETFFS) describes nuclear excitations considering phonons and pairing degrees of freedom, using experimental single particle energies and the effective Landau-Migdal interaction. Here we use the Skyrme interactions in order to extend the range of applicability of the ETFFS to experimentally not yet investigated short-lived isotopes. We find that Skyrme interactions which reproduce at the mean field level both ground state properties and nuclear excitations are able to describe the spreading widths of the giant resonances in the new approach, but produce shifts of the centroid energies. A renormalization of the Skyrme interactions is required for approaches going beyond the mean field level.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, corrected typo

Female Scent Signals Enhances Male Resistance to Influenza

Scent of receptive females as signal to reproduction stimulate male mice to olfactory search of a potential breeding partner^1, 2^. This searching behavior is coupled with infection risk due to bacterial contamination of the fecal and urine scent marks^4^. The theoretical consideration of host evolution under inevitable parasitic pressures, including helminthes, bacteria, virus etc., predicts adaptations that help protect against parasites associated with breeding^7^. In this study, we propose that acceptation of female signals by male mice leads to adaptive redistribution of immune defense directed to protection against respiratory infection risks. Our results reveal migration of macrophages and neutrophils to upper airways upon exposure to female odor stimulus resulting in increased resistance to influenza virus in male mice. Contrary to widely accepted immunosuppressive function of female sexual signals, our data provide the first demonstration of the adaptive immunological response to female odor stimulus through induction of nonspecific immune response in upper airways

Relativistic quasiparticle time blocking approximation. II. Pygmy dipole resonance in neutron-rich nuclei

Theoretical studies of low-lying dipole strength in even-even spherical nuclei within the relativistic quasiparticle time blocking approximation (RQTBA) are presented. The RQTBA developed recently as an extension of the self-consistent relativistic quasiparticle random phase approximation (RQRPA) enables one to investigate effects of coupling of two-quasiparticle excitations to collective vibrations within a fully consistent calculation scheme based on covariant energy density functional theory. Dipole spectra of even-even $^{130}$Sn -- $^{140}$Sn and $^{68}$Ni -- $^{78}$Ni isotopes calculated within both RQRPA and RQTBA show two well separated collective structures: the higher-lying giant dipole resonance (GDR) and the lower-lying pygmy dipole resonance (PDR) which can be identified by a different behavior of the transition densities of states in these regions.Comment: 28 pages, 13 figure

Microscopic description of the pygmy and giant electric dipole resonances in stable Ca isotopes

The properties of the pygmy (PDR) and giant dipole resonance (GDR)in the stable $^{40}Ca$,$^{44}Ca$ and $^{48}Ca$ isotopes have been calculated within the \emph{Extended Theory of Finite Fermi Systems}(ETFFS). This approach is based on the random phase approximation (RPA) and includes the single particle continuum as well as the coupling to low-lying collectives states which are considered in a consistent microscopic way. For $^{44}Ca$ we also include pairing correlations. We obtain good agreement with the experimental data for the gross properties of both resonances. It is demonstrated that the recently measured A-dependence of the strength of the PDR below 10 MeV is well understood in our model:due to the phonon coupling some of the strength in $^{48}Ca$ is simply shifted beyond 10 MeV. The predicted fragmentation of the PDR can be investigated in $(e,e')$ and $(\gamma ,\gamma')$ experiments. Whereas the isovector dipole strength of the PDR is small in all Ca isotopes, we find in this region surprisingly strong isoscalar dipole states, in agreement with an $(\alpha,\alpha'\gamma)$ experiment. We conclude that for the detailed understanding of the structure of excited nuclei e.g. the PDR and GDR an approach like the present one is absolutely necessary.Comment: 6 figure

Covariant theory of particle-vibrational coupling and its effect on the single-particle spectrum

The Relativistic Mean Field (RMF) approach describing the motion of independent particles in effective meson fields is extended by a microscopic theory of particle vibrational coupling. It leads to an energy dependence of the relativistic mass operator in the Dyson equation for the single-particle propagator. This equation is solved in the shell-model of Dirac states. As a result of the dynamics of particle-vibrational coupling we observe a noticeable increase of the level density near the Fermi surface. The shifts of the single-particle levels in the odd nuclei surrounding 208-Pb and the corresponding distributions of the single-particle strength are discussed and compared with experimental data.Comment: 27 pages, 8 figure