T=0 Neutron-Proton Correlations at High Angular Momenta

The properties of T=0 neutron-proton correlations are discussed within the frame work of different model calculations. Single-j shell calculations reveal that the T=0 correlations remain up to the highest frequencies. They are more complex and cannot be restricted to L=0 pairs only. Whereas it may be difficult to find clear evidence for T=0 pairing at low spins, T=0 correlations are found to induce a new excitation scheme at high angular momenta.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure

Mass number dependence of the Skyrme-force-induced nuclear symmetry energy

The global mass dependence of the nuclear symmetry energy and its two basic ingredients due to the mean-level spacing and effective strength of the isovector mean-potential is studied within the Skyrme-Hartree-Fock model. In particular, our study determines the ratio of the surface-to-volume contributions to the nuclear symmetry energy to be ~1.6 and reveals that contributions due to mean-level spacing and effective strength of the isovector mean-potential are almost equal after removing momentum-dependent effects by rescaling them with isoscalar and isovector effective masses, respectively.Comment: Presented at the XII Nuclear Physics Workshop, Kazimierz Dolny, Poland, September 21-25, 200

Properties of N=90 Isotones within the Mean Field Perspective

In recent years, the N=90 isotones have been investigated to a large extent in relation to studies of quantum phase transitions. In this paper, we use the mean field approach with pairing-deformation self consistent Total Routhian Surface (TRS) calculations to study the N=90 isotones and neigh- bouring nuclei. The important probes, such as moments of inertia, quadrupole moments, the energy ratio of E(4+1)/E(2+1), octupole and hexadecapole degrees of freedom are considered and the cal- culated results are compared with the available experimental data. From a microscopic point of view, the N=90 isotones characterize the onset of the deformed region and are very well described by mean field calculations. The results are compared with those from other studies in beyond mean-field approximations. Shape coexistence phenomena in the region of interest are discussed.Comment: 7 pages, 10 figure

Rotations in isospace: a doorway to the understanding of neutron-proton superfluidity in N=Z nuclei

The $T$=2 excitations in even-even $N$=$Z$ nuclei are calculated within the isospin cranked mean-field approach. The response of pairing correlations to rotation in isospace is investigated. It is shown that whereas the isovector pairing rather modestly modifies the single-particle moment of inertia in isospace, the isoscalar pairing strongly reduces its value. This reduction of the moments of inertia in isospace with respect to its rigid body value is a strong indicator of collective isoscalar pairing correlations. Beautiful analogies between the role of isovector pairing for the case of spatial rotations and the role of isoscalar pairing for the case of iso-rotations are underlined