No Arabic abstract
Coexistence of different geometric shapes at low energies presents a universal structure phenomenon that occurs over the entire chart of nuclides. Studies of the shape coexistence are important for understanding the microscopic origin of collectivity and modifications of shell structure in exotic nuclei far from stability. The aim of this work is to provide a systematic analysis of characteristic signatures of coexisting nuclear shapes in different mass regions, using a global self-consistent theoretical method based on universal energy density functionals and the quadrupole collective model. The low-energy excitation spectrum and quadrupole shape invariants of the two lowest $0^{+}$ states of even-even nuclei are obtained as solutions of a five-dimensional collective Hamiltonian (5DCH) model, with parameters determined by constrained self-consistent mean-field calculations based on the relativistic energy density functional PC-PK1, and a finite-range pairing interaction. The theoretical excitation energies of the states: $2^+_1$, $4^+_1$, $0^+_2$, $2^+_2$, $2^+_3$, as well as the $B(E2; 0^+_1to 2^+_1)$ values, are in very good agreement with the corresponding experimental values for 621 even-even nuclei. Quadrupole shape invariants have been implemented to investigate shape coexistence, and the distribution of possible shape-coexisting nuclei is consistent with results obtained in recent theoretical studies and available data. The present analysis has shown that, when based on a universal and consistent microscopic framework of nuclear density functionals, shape invariants provide distinct indicators and reliable predictions for the occurrence of low-energy coexisting shapes. This method is particularly useful for studies of shape coexistence in regions far from stability where few data are available.
The assessment of the global performance of the state-of-the-art covariant energy density functionals and related theoretical uncertainties in the description of ground state observables has recently been performed. Based on these results, the correlations between global description of binding energies and nuclear matter properties of covariant energy density functionals have been studied in this contribution.
The quadrupole collective Hamiltonian, based on relativistic energy density functionals, is extended to include a pairing collective coordinate. In addition to quadrupole shape vibrations and rotations, the model describes pairing vibrations and the coupling between shape and pairing degrees of freedom. The parameters of the collective Hamiltonian are determined by constrained self-consistent relativistic mean-field plus Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (RMF+BCS) calculations in the space of intrinsic shape and pairing deformations. The effect of coupling between shape and pairing degrees of freedom is analyzed in a study of low-energy spectra and transition rates of four axially symmetric $N=92$ rare-earth isotones. When compared to results obtained with the standard quadrupole collective Hamiltonian, the inclusion of dynamical pairing increases the moment of inertia, lowers the energies of excited $0^+$ states and reduces the E0-transition strengths, in better agreement with data.
Covariant density functional theory (CDFT) is a modern theoretical tool for the description of nuclear structure phenomena. The current investigation aims at the global assessment of the accuracy of the description of the ground state properties of even-even nuclei. We also estimate {it theoretical uncertainties} defined here as the spreads of predictions within four covariant energy density functionals (CEDF) in known regions of the nuclear chart and their propagation towards the neutron drip line. Large-scale axial relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov (RHB) calculations are performed for all $Zleq 104$ even-even nuclei between the two-proton and two-neutron drip lines with four modern covariant energy density functionals such as NL3*, DD-ME2, DD-ME$delta$ and DD-PC1. The physical observables of interest include the binding energies, two-particle separation energies, charge quadrupole deformations, isovector deformations, charge radii, neutron skin thicknesses and the positions of the two-proton and two-neutron drip lines. The predictions for the two-neutron drip line are also compared in a systematic way with the ones obtained in non-relativistic models. As an example, the data set of the calculated properties of even-even nuclei obtained with DD-PC1 CEDF is provided as Supplemental Material with this article (file ddpc1.pdf).
The structure of low-lying excitation states of even-even $N=40$ isotones is studied using a five-dimensional collective Hamiltonian with the collective parameters determined from the relativistic mean-field plus BCS method with the PC-PK1 functional in the particle-hole channel and a separable paring force in the particle-particle channel. The theoretical calculations can reproduce not only the systematics of the low-lying states along the isotonic chain but also the detailed structure of the spectroscopy in a single nucleus. We find a picture of spherical-oblate-prolate shape transition along the isotonic chain of $N=40$ by analyzing the potential energy surfaces. The coexistence of low-lying excited $0^+$ states has also been shown to be a common feature in neutron-deficient $N=40$ isotones.
Static and dynamic aspects of the fission process of $^{226}$Th are analyzed in a self-consistent framework based on relativistic energy density functionals. Constrained relativistic mean-field (RMF) calculations in the collective space of axially symmetric quadrupole and octupole deformations, based on the energy density functional PC-PK1 and a $delta$-force pairing, are performed to determine the potential energy surface of the fissioning nucleus, the scission line, the single-nucleon wave functions, energies and occupation probabilities, as functions of deformation parameters. Induced fission dynamics is described using the time-dependent generator coordinate method in the Gaussian overlap approximation. A collective Schrodinger equation, determined entirely by the microscopic single-nucleon degrees of freedom, propagates adiabatically in time the initial wave packet built by boosting the ground-state solution of the collective Hamiltonian for $^{226}$Th. The position of the scission line and the microscopic input for the collective Hamiltonian are analyzed as functions of the strength of the pairing interaction. The effect of static pairing correlations on the pre-neutron emission charge yields and total kinetic energy of fission fragments is examined in comparison with available data, and the distribution of fission fragments is analyzed for different values of the initial excitation energy.