Delta I = 1 staggering in octupole bands of light actinides: "Beat" patterns

The Delta I = 1 staggering (odd--even staggering) in octupole bands of light actinides is found to exhibit a ``beat'' behaviour as a function of the angular momentum I, forcing us to revise the traditional belief that this staggering decreases gradually to zero and then remains at this zero value. Various algebraic models (spf-Interacting Boson Model, spdf-IBM, Vector Boson Model, Nuclear Vibron Model) are shown to predict in their su(3) limits constant staggering for this case, being thus unable to describe the ``beat'' behaviour. An explanation of the ``beat'' behaviour is given in terms of two Dunham expansions (expansions in terms of powers of I(I+1)) with slightly different sets of coefficients for the ground state band and the negative parity band, the difference in the values of the coefficients being attributed to Coriolis couplings to other negative parity bands. Similar ``beat'' patterns have already been seen in rotational bands of some diatomic molecules, like AgH.Comment: LaTeX, 17 pages plus 14 figures given in separate .ps file

The 3-Dimensional q-Deformed Harmonic Oscillator and Magic Numbers of Alkali Metal Clusters

Magic numbers predicted by a 3-dimensional q-deformed harmonic oscillator with Uq(3) > SOq(3) symmetry are compared to experimental data for alkali metal clusters, as well as to theoretical predictions of jellium models, Woods--Saxon and wine bottle potentials, and to the classification scheme using the 3n+l pseudo quantum number. The 3-dimensional q-deformed harmonic oscillator correctly predicts all experimentally observed magic numbers up to 1500 (which is the expected limit of validity for theories based on the filling of electronic shells), thus indicating that Uq(3), which is a nonlinear extension of the U(3) symmetry of the spherical (3-dimensional isotropic) harmonic oscillator, is a good candidate for being the symmetry of systems of alkali metal clusters.Comment: 13 pages, LaTe

Unified description of magic numbers of metal clusters in terms of the 3-dimensional q-deformed harmonic oscillator

Magic numbers predicted by a 3-dimensional q-deformed harmonic oscillator with Uq(3)>SOq(3) symmetry are compared to experimental data for atomic clusters of alkali metals (Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs), noble metals (Cu, Ag, Au), divalent metals (Zn, Cd), and trivalent metals (Al, In), as well as to theoretical predictions of jellium models, Woods-Saxon and wine bottle potentials, and to the classification scheme using the 3n+l pseudo quantum number. In alkali metal clusters and noble metal clusters the 3-dimensional q-deformed harmonic oscillator correctly predicts all experimentally observed magic numbers up to 1500 (which is the expected limit of validity for theories based on the filling of electronic shells), while in addition it gives satisfactory results for the magic numbers of clusters of divalent metals and trivalent metals, thus indicating that Uq(3), which is a nonlinear extension of the U(3) symmetry of the spherical (3-dimensional isotropic) harmonic oscillator, is a good candidate for being the symmetry of systems of several metal clusters. The Taylor expansions of angular momentum dependent potentials approximately producing the same spectrum as the 3-dimensional q-deformed harmonic oscillator are found to be similar to the Taylor expansions of the symmetrized Woods-Saxon and wine-bottle symmetrized Woods-Saxon potentials, which are known to provide successful fits of the Ekardt potentials.Comment: 23 pages including 7 table

Delta I = 2 staggering in rotational bands of diatomic molecules as a manifestation of interband interactions

It is shown that the recently observed Delta I = 2 staggering seen in superdeformed nuclear bands is also occurring in certain electronically excited rotational bands of diatomic molecules. In the case of diatomic molecules the effect is attributed to interband interactions (bandcrossings).Comment: LaTeX, 9 pages plus 24 figures given in separate .ps file