arXiv subjects

Cenxi Yuan

Publications and source records attributed to Cenxi Yuan.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Precision masses of neutron-rich platinum and gold nuclei reveal enhanced $N=126$ shell strength below doubly-magic $^{208}$Pb

The heaviest stable nuclei in the universe owe their existence to quantum shell structure, the grouping of protons and neutrons into discrete energy levels separated by gaps. The largest known neutron shell gap in stable nuclei, at $N=126$, stabilizes doubly-magic $^{208}$Pb and is responsible for the characteristic abundance peak of heavy elements near gold and platinum produced by the rapid neutron-capture process (r-process). Whether this shell gap persists as protons are removed from lead is a question central to both nuclear structure and the modeling of heavy-element synthesis, yet it has remained unanswered due to the extraordinary difficulty of producing the relevant neutron-rich nuclei. Direct experimental knowledge in this region was essentially absent. Here we report the first precision mass measurements of $^{203,204}$Pt and $^{204,205,206}$Au, performed at GSI using a novel combination of Schottky and isochronous mass spectrometry in a heavy-ion storage ring. The $N=126$ isotones $^{204}$Pt and $^{205}$Au are more strongly bound than the extrapolated trend of the previously known mass surface by 403 and 464~keV, respectively, revealing an unexpectedly enhanced $N=126$ shell strength below doubly-magic $^{208}$Pb. Furthermore, the proton-neutron interaction strength exhibits a hitherto unobserved bifurcation at $N=126$ as protons are removed from $^{208}$Pb. Our results redefine the nuclear mass surface in the neutron-rich heavy-element region and provide direct experimental benchmarks for theoretical models whose extrapolations toward more exotic nuclei are essential for r-process nucleosynthesis calculations.

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arXiv2026

From $α$ decay to cluster decay: an extreme case of transfer learning

When training data are limited, data-driven models are especially vulnerable to optimization-related fluctuations from random initialization and to sampling-induced bias from insufficient training data. We address both challenges with transfer learning (TL): deep neural networks (DNNs) are first pretrained on $α$ decay half-lives and then fine-tuned on a small cluster decay dataset. The pretraining stage provides a physically informed initialization that stabilizes optimization, while transferred global decay systematics regularize the fit and reduce sensitivity to training set composition. Despite extreme data sparsity, the resulting models accurately predict cluster decay half-lives for parent nuclei from $^{221}$Fr to $^{242}$Cm. We further quantify how initialization and sample selection affect predictive accuracy and robustness, demonstrating that TL enables stable and reliable learning in the small-sample regime.

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arXiv2026

Level structure of light neutron-rich La isotopes beyond the N=82 shell closure

The high spin excited states of Lanthanum isotopes $^{140-143}$La, above the $N=82$ closed shell, have been populated in fission reactions. The prompt $γ$-ray transitions were measured using two complementary methods; a) in coincidence with the isotopically identified fragments produced in the fission of the $^{238}$U+$^{9}$Be system using the VAMOS++ and the AGATA spectrometers and b) high statistics three-fold $γ-γ-γ$ and four-fold $γ-γ-γ-γ$ coincidence data from the spontaneous fission of $^{252}$Cf using the Gammasphere. This work reports the first identification of a pair of parity doublet structures in $^{143}$La and the new high spin level structure in $^{140-142}$La from prompt $γ$-ray spectroscopy. The level structures are interpreted in terms of the systematics of neighbouring odd-$Z$ nuclei above $Z=50$ shell closure and large-scale shell model calculations. The present results indicate the presence of stable octupole deformation, in $^{143}$La. The excitation energy pattern and their comparison with neighbouring isotones, moving away from the N=82 closed shell, point towards a transition from single particle structures to an alternating parity rotational band structure in the La isotopic chain.

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arXiv2025

A Universal Four-Fermion Formation Framework and Odd-Even Staggering in $α$ Decay

Clustering phenomena are common in many physical systems across multiple scales. The nuclear $α$ decay is one of the earliest observed evidences of clustering in quantum systems, yet its formation process remains poorly understood even today. In this letter, we propose a novel global odd-even staggering (OES) feature in $α$ decay, which emerges during the clustering process. To unveil its origin, we develop a Universal Four-Fermion Formation Framework (U4F), which describes the formation of any four-nucleon cluster, such as $α$ particle, from a general microscopic wave function, without assuming the preexistence of clustering or pairing. By combining U4F with the large-scale configuration-interaction approach, we demonstrate that the OES effect in $α$ decay arises from the suppression of clustering correlations due to unpaired nucleons. These findings significantly advance our understanding of cluster formation in nuclei and have important implications for the production of new elements and nuclear synthesis in the universe.

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arXiv2025

Recent progress in configuration-interaction shell model

Since Mayer and Jensen employed the single-particle shell model to interpret the magic numbers, various microscopic nuclear models have been developed to study the nuclear force and structure. The confguration-interaction shell model (CISM), performed in truncated model space with the inclusion of the residual interaction, is one widely-used nuclear structure model. In the last decade, CISM has progressed in investigating the cross-shell excitation in exotic light nuclei, the similarity and diference in mirror nuclei, and the isomerism and seniority conservation in medium and heavy nuclei. Additionally, researchers have attempted to construct effective Hamiltonians for nuclei near 132Sn and 208Pb through a unifed way in the CISM framework. In parallel, related models, including the nucleon-pair approximation (NPA) approach, the Monte Carlo shell model (MCSM), the projected shell model (PSM), the Gamow shell model (GSM), etc., have also been extensively developed and validated in the last decade. This paper reviews the recent progress in CISM and some related models.

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arXiv2024

Shell-model study for allowed and forbidden $β^-$ decay properties in the mass region "south" of $^{208}$Pb

The large-scale shell-model calculations have been performed for the neutron-rich nuclei in the south region of $^{208}$Pb in the nuclear chart. The $β$-decay properties, such as the $\log ft$, average shape factor values, half-lives, and partial decay rates are calculated for these neutron-rich nuclei using recent effective interaction for the $^{208}$Pb region. These calculations have been performed without truncation in a particular model space for nuclei $N\leq 126$; additionally, particle-hole excitations are included in the case of core-breaking nuclei ($Z\leq 82, N>126$). An extensive comparison with the experimental data has been made, and spin parities of several states have been proposed.

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arXiv2024

High-precision mass measurements of neutron deficient silver isotopes probe the robustness of the $N$ = 50 shell closure

High-precision mass measurements of exotic $^{95-97}$Ag isotopes close to the $N = Z$ line have been conducted with the JYFLTRAP double Penning trap mass spectrometer, with the silver ions produced using the recently commissioned inductively-heated hot cavity catcher laser ion source at the Ion Guide Isotope Separator On-Line facility. The atomic mass of $^{95}$Ag was directly determined for the first time. In addition, the atomic masses of $β$-decaying 2$^+$ and 8$^+$ states in $^{96}$Ag have been identified and measured for the first time, and the precision of the $^{97}$Ag mass has been improved. The newly measured masses, with a precision of $\approx$ 1 keV/c$^2$, have been used to investigate the $N =$ 50 neutron shell closure confirming it to be robust. Empirical shell-gap and pairing energies determined with the new ground-state mass data are compared with the state-of-the-art \textit{ab initio} calculations with various chiral effective field theory Hamiltonians. The precise determination of the excitation energy of the $^{96m}$Ag isomer in particular serves as a benchmark for \textit{ab initio} predictions of nuclear properties beyond the ground state, specifically for odd-odd nuclei situated in proximity to the proton dripline below $^{100}$Sn. In addition, density functional theory (DFT) calculations and configuration-interaction shell-model (CISM) calculations are compared with the experimental results. All theoretical approaches face challenges to reproduce the trend of nuclear ground-state properties in the silver isotopic chain across the $N =$50 neutron shell and toward the proton drip-line.

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arXiv2023

Decay of superheavy nuclei based on the random forest algorithm

How nuclides decay in the superheavy region is key information for investigating new elements beyond oganesson and the island of stability. The Random Forest algorithm is applied to study the competition between different decay modes in the superheavy region, including $α$ decay, $β^-$ decay, $β^+$ decay, electron capture and spontaneous fission. The observed half-lives and dominant decay mode are well reproduced. The dominant decay mode of 96.9 % nuclei beyond $^{212}$Po is correctly described. $α$ decay is predicted to be the dominant decay mode for isotopes in new elements $Z = 119 - 122$, except for spontaneous fission in some even-even ones because of the odd-even staggering effect. The predicted half-lives show the existence of a long-lived spontaneous fission island at the southwest of $^{298}$Fl caused by the competition of nuclear deformation and Coulomb repulsion. More understanding of spontaneous fission, especially beyond $^{286}$Fl, is crucial to search for new elements and the island of stability.

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arXiv2023

Extended R-matrix description of two-proton radioactivity

Two-proton ($2p$) radioactivity provides fundamental knowledge on the three-body decay mechanism and the residual nuclear interaction. In this work, we propose decay width formulae in the extended R-matrix framework for different decay mechanisms, including sequential $2p$ decay, diproton decay, tri-body decay, and sequential two-diproton decay. The diproton and tri-body formulae, combined with information on the two-nucleon transfer amplitude and Wigner single-particle reduced width, can reproduce well experimental $2p$ radioactivity half-lives. For the case of $^{67}$Kr, theoretical predictions for direct $2p$ decay give much larger half-lives than the recent measurement from RIKEN. A combination of direct and sequential $2p$ emission is analyzed by considering a small negative one-proton separation energy and a possible enhanced contribution from the $p$-wave component. The present method predicts that $^{71}$Sr and $^{74}$Zr may be the most promising candidates for future study on $2p$ radioactivity. Our model gives an upper limit of 55(4) keV for the decay width of $4p$ emission in recently found four-proton resonant nuclide, $^{18}$Mg, which agrees with the observed width of 115(100) keV.

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arXiv2022

Systematic shell-model study on spectroscopic properties in the south region of $^{208}$Pb

We aim to study the properties of nuclei in the south region of $^{208}$Pb systematically, including the binding and excitation energies and electromagnetic properties, in order to predict unknown properties of these nuclei, such as isomerism, utilizing a theoretical model which describes the experimentally known properties precisely. We also address whether the $N=126$ shell closure is robust or not when the proton number decreases from $^{208}$Pb. We performed large-scale shell-model calculations with a new Hamiltonian suggested in the present work. The model space is taken as the five proton orbits within $50<Z\leqslant82$ and the thirteen neutron orbits within $82<N\leqslant184$. And one-particle one-hole excitation is allowed across the $N=126$ gap. The Hamiltonian is constructed by combining the existing Hamiltonians, KHHE (with adjustment of its proton-proton part) and KHPE, and the monopole based universal interaction. The shell-model results well reproduce the experimentally observed binding energies and spectroscopic properties, such as isomerism, core excitation, and electromagnetic properties. Some possible isomeric states in neutron-rich Pb, Tl, and Hg isotopes are predicted with transition energies and half-lives. We also examine the effective charges and the quenching of the $g$ factors suitable for this region by systematic comparisons between observed and calculated electromagnetic properties. A new Hamiltonian is constructed for nuclei in the south region of $^{208}$Pb, mainly including Pb, Tl, Hg, Au, Pt, Ir, Os, Re, and W isotopes around $N=126$, and provides them reasonable descriptions on nuclear properties including binding energies, excitation energies and electromagnetic properties through comprehensive and systematic studies.

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arXiv2022

Implementation of residual nucleus de-excitations associated with proton decays in $^{12} {\rm C}$ based on the GENIE generator and TALYS code

We implement the de-excitation processes of residual nuclei associated with proton decays in $^{12} {\rm C}$ based on the GENIE generator and TALYS code. To derive the reasonable excitation energy spectra of residual nuclei $^{11} {\rm B}$, $^{10} {\rm B}$ and $^{10} {\rm Be}$, the default GENIE nucleon decay generator is modified in terms of the Spectral Function nuclear model. Then we use the TALYS code to estimate the de-excitation processes of residual nuclei. The TALYS calculation can partly account for the experimental data.

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arXiv2022

Shell-model study on properties of proton dripline nuclides with Z, N = 30-50 including uncertainty analysis

The binding energies and proton separation energies of nuclides with $Z, N = 30-50$ are investigated, based on the shell model with an uncertainty analysis through statistical methods. Several formulas are used to obtain the binding energies and proton separation energies according to the shell-model calculations. The non-parametric Bootstrap method is applied to establish an uncertainty decomposition and recomposition framework. Moreover, it is used to estimate the stability of proton(s) emission for each nuclide. Two formulas for calculating the binding energies with a systematic uncertainty of $\sim0.3$ MeV are proposed, and a reliable extrapolation ability is examined. These binding energy formulas deduce similar forms of respective $S_{p}$ and $S_{2p}$ energies, which predict the extension of the nuclear boundary of this region. A nice description of the binding energies and proton separation energies is provided. The one- and two-proton separation energies and partial half-lives of proton emitting are predicted, thus showing a new dripline. Besides, there are 30 unstable nuclides predicted to be bound against proton(s)-emission. These nuclear properties will be useful in nuclear astrophysics.

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arXiv2020

$α$ Decay Half-life Estimation and Uncertainty Analysis

The non-parametric bootstrap method is used to evaluate the uncertainties of two $α$ decay formulas, the universal decay law (UDL) and the new Geiger-Nuttall law (NGNL). Such a method can simultaneously obtain the uncertainty of each parameter, the correlation between each pair of parameters, and the total, statistical, and systematic uncertainties of each formula. Both even-even (ee) nuclei and odd-A (oA) nuclei are used in the analysis. The collected data are separated into three parts: ee nuclei, oA nuclei without spin or parity change (oA\_nc), and oA nuclei with spin and/or parity change (oA\_c). Based on the residues between observed data and corresponding calculations, the statistical and systematic uncertainties are decomposed from the total uncertainty, from which one can clarify the effects from the shell structure, pairing, and angular momentum change on describing $α$ decay half-life. If $N > 126$ and $N \leqslant 126$ nuclei are considered together, the systematic uncertainty of residues between observed and predicted half-lives are larger than if those groups are considered separately. Without shell correction term, a much larger systematic uncertainty is found if parameters obtained for $N \leqslant 126$ nuclei are used to describe the half-lives of $N > 126$ nuclei. A global hindrance on the $α$ decay process is found in oA\_nc (oA\_c) nuclei comparing with ee (oA\_nc) nuclei. If parameters obtained from ee (oA\_nc) nuclei are used, the half-lives of oA\_nc (oA\_c) nuclei are generally underestimated with large systematic uncertainties, which can be related to the contribution of pairing effect and angular momentum. The recently observed superallowed decay from $^{104}$Te to $^{100}$Sn is also discussed based on uncertainty analysis. (Abstract is not fully presented because of length limitation)

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arXiv2020

Neutronic Study of UO2-BeO Fuel with Various Claddings

The neutronic properties of UO2-BeO fuel with various claddings are investigated through the Monte Carlo method and the Linear Reactivity Model. A second order polynomial function is suggested to describe the relationship between the difference of the reactivity at the End of Cycle and two factors, the uranium enrichment and the volume fraction of BeO in the UO2-BeO fuel. The uranium enrichment is determined to ensure the same cycle length for each BeO fraction with zircaloy, FeCrAl, and SiC claddings. Similar neutronic properties are observed between the zircaloy and SiC claddings for a given BeO fraction, including the infinite multiplication factor, the gas release, the power distribution, and the isotopic concentrations. An important feature of UO2-BeO fuel is the production of 4He, which is significant compared with current UO2 fuel. Lower production rates of xenon and krypton are found in the case of the UO2-BeO-FeCrAl fuel-cladding system, while those in the UO2-BeO-zircaloy and UO2-BeO-SiC systems are quite similar to the current UO2-zircaloy system. The power distribution in an assembly and in a fuel pellet is flatter for a higher BeO fraction with the same cladding. Higher peak power is found in fuel assemblies with FeCrAl compared to the other two claddings, while the radial power distribution is quite similar for the three claddings.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2018

Minor Actinides Transmutation in Candidate Accident Tolerant Fuel-Claddings U3Si2-FeCrAl and U3Si2-SiC

An advanced transmutation method is suggested that the long-lived Minor Actinides (MAs) in the spent fuel can be efficiently transmuted in the candidate Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF). The transmutation of MAs is investigated through the Monte Carlo simulations in two potential fuel-claddings of ATF, U3Si2-FeCrAl and U3Si2-SiC. The critical loadings of MAs are determined through the Linear Reactivity Model (LRM) in order to keep the same reactivity as the current UO2-zircaloy system at the End of Cycle (EOC). In all cases, excellent transmutation efficiencies are found for the most important three MAs, 237Np, 241Am, and 243Am, of which the total transmutation rates are around 60%, 90%, and 60%, respectively. If only the longest-lived isotope 237Np is considered, one U3Si2-SiC assembly can transmute 237Np from six normal assemblies. The loading of MAs has little influences on the neutronic properties, such as the power distributions inside an assembly and inside a fuel rod. The transmutation of MAs in the ATF assembly is shown to be more efficient and safe comparing with the normal assembly, while other important properties are kept, such as the cycle length and the power distribution.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2018

Radial Distributions of Power and Isotopic Concentrations in Candidate Accident Tolerant Fuel U3Si2 and UO2/U3Si2 Fuel Pins with FeCrAl Cladding

Monte Carlo simulations show similarity on radial distributions of power and isotopic concentrations at any effective full power depletion time among five kinds of fuel-cladding combinations with the same cycle length, including the normal UO2-zircaloy combination, the candidate Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF) UO2/U3Si2-FeCrAl combination, and three kinds of candidate ATF U3Si2-FeCrAl combinations. An analytical formula f(x,s) including the fuel exposure (s) and the relative radial (x) is proposed to describe the radial properties for all five kinds of fuel-cladding combinations. f(x,s) has the form of the second order polynomial term of s with the exponential type of coefficients depending on x. It is shown that the suggested function f(x,s) gives a nice description on the simulation data with rather small deviations and can immediately provide radial distribution of power, burnup, and isotopic concentrations of 235U, 238U, 239Pu, and 241Pu at any fuel exposure and relative radius. It is useful to discuss the fuel temperature through the present analytical formula. The realistic radial power distribution gives flatter radial temperature distribution compared with the uniform power distribution. Because of the different thermal conductivities of fuels and claddings and the different thicknesses of claddings, the present discussed five kinds of fuel-cladding combinations have different radial temperature distributions, although their radial power distributions are quite similar. The present work provides an analytical formula to describe the radial properties of the ATF which is expected to be helpful for further neutronic and multi-physics coupling studies.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2018

Transmutation of Minor Actinides and Power Flattening in PWR MOX Fuel

In order to transmute long-lived MAs and flatten power distribution in a PWR MOX fuel assembly, the authors have proposed to replace some high power fuel rods by MAs loaded fuel rods. The present work proves the high efficiency of long-lived MAs transmutation in a PWR MOX assembly with 92 fuel rods with 3% MAs loaded. The power and the burnup distribution have been flatted by using the MAs loading method proposed by authors. The 237Np loading method is expected for the transmutation by comparing with natural decay time to achieve the same reduction. The mixed MAs loading has better behaviors on power flattening and negative contribution of reactivity. In addition, the mixed MAs loading can largely reduce the quantity of 241Am, while the addition of other MAs has no influence on the transmutation efficiency of 237Np.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2017

Study of Minor Actinides Transmutation in PWR MOX fuel

The management of long-lived radionuclides in spent fuel is a key issue to achieve the closed nuclear fuel cycle and the sustainable development of nuclear energy. Partitioning-Transmutation is supposed to be an efficient method to treat the long-lived radionuclides in spent fuel. Some Minor Actinides (MAs) have very long half-lives among the radionuclides in the spent fuel. Accordingly, the study of MAs transmutation is a significant work for the post-processing of spent fuel. In the present work, the transmutations in Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) mixed oxide (MOX) fuel are investigated through the Monte Carlo based code RMC. Two kinds of MAs, $^{237}$Np and five MAs ($^{237}$Np, $^{241}$Am, $^{243}$Am, $^{244}$Cm and $^{245}$Cm) are incorporated homogeneously into the MOX fuel assembly. The transmutation of MAs is simulated with different initial MOX concentrations. The results indicate an overall nice efficiency of transmutation in both initial MOX concentrations, especially for the two kinds of MAs primarily generated in the UOX fuel, $^{237}$Np and $^{241}$Am. In addition, the inclusion of $^{237}$Np in MOX has no large influence for other MAs, while the transmutation efficiency of $^{237}$Np is excellent. The transmutation of MAs in MOX fuel depletion is expected to be a new, efficient nuclear spent fuel management method for the future nuclear power generation.

physics.app-ph↗