SearcharxivSearch

arXiv subjects

Ramon A. Wyss

Publications and source records attributed to Ramon A. Wyss.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

Three-Body Barrier Dynamics of Double-Alpha Decay in Heavy Nuclei

The simultaneous emission of two $α$ particles--double-$α$ decay--represents a long-predicted but unobserved mode of nuclear radioactivity. Here we formulate this process as a genuine three-body problem within the hyperspherical coordinate framework and evaluate decay probabilities by numerically solving the corresponding hyperradial Schrödinger equation, combined with large-scale random sampling of the potential parameters; the latter treatment ensures that the present results are more convincing. Inspired by this, we demonstrate that the penetrability ratio between simultaneous and sequential $α$ emission exhibits a strikingly linear dependence on $ZQ_{αα}^{-1/2}$, extending the barrier penetration dynamics into the correlated few-body regime. The nuclei $^{108}$Xe, $^{218}$Ra, $^{224}$Pu, $^{222}$U, $^{216}$Rn, and $^{220}$Th are suggested as the most promising candidates for the observation of double-$α$ decay, with predicted half-lives potentially accessible within present detection limits. Our results provide a unified framework for multi-$α$ decay and open a pathway to probing nuclear clustering and few-body correlations in heavy nuclei.

nucl-th

Microscopic mechanism of charged-particle radioactivity and generalization of the Geiger-Nuttall law

A linear relation for charged-particle emissions is presented starting from the microscopic mechanism of the radioactive decay. It relates the logarithms of the decay half-lives with two variables, called $χ'$ and $ρ'$, which depend upon the $Q$-values of the outgoing clusters as well as the masses and charges of the nuclei involved in the decay. This relation explains well all known cluster decays. It is found to be a generalization of the Geiger-Nuttall law in $α$ radioactivity and therefore we call it the universal decay law. Predictions on the most likely emissions of various clusters are presented by applying the law over the whole nuclear chart. It is seen that the decays of heavier clusters with non-equal proton and neutron numbers are mostly located in the trans-lead region. The emissions of clusters with equal protons and neutrons, like $^{12}$C and $^{16}$O, are possible in some neutron-deficient nuclei with $Z\geq54$.

nucl-th

Universal decay law in charged-particle emission and exotic cluster radioactivity

A linear universal decay formula is presented starting from the microscopic mechanism of the charged-particle emission. It relates the half-lives of monopole radioactive decays with the $Q$-values of the outgoing particles as well as the masses and charges of the nuclei involved in the decay. This relation is found to be a generalization of the Geiger-Nuttall law in $α$ radioactivity and explains well all known cluster decays. Predictions on the most likely emissions of various clusters are presented.

nucl-th

Nuclear Symmetry Energy in Relativistic Mean Field Theory

The Physical origin of the nuclear symmetry energy is studied within the relativistic mean field (RMF) theory. Based on the nuclear binding energies calculated with and without mean isovector potential for several isobaric chains we conform earlier Skyrme-Hartree-Fock result that the nuclear symmetry energy strength depends on the mean level spacing $ε(A)$ and an effective mean isovector potential strength $κ(A)$. A detaied analysis of isospin dependence of the two components contributing to the nuclear symmetry energy reveals a quadratic dependence due to the mean-isoscalar potential, $\simεT^2$, and, completely unexpectedly, the presence of a strong linear component $\simκT(T+1+ε/κ)$ in the isovector potential. The latter generates a nuclear symmetry energy in RMF theory that is proportional to $E_{sym}\sim T(T+1)$ at variance to the non-relativistic calculation. The origin of the linear term in RMF theory needs to be further explored.

nucl-th

Global properties of the Skyrme-force-induced nuclear symmetry energy

Large scale calculations are performed to establish the global mass dependence of the nuclear symmetry energy, $a_{sym}(A)$, which in turn depends on two basic ingredients: the mean-level spacing, $ε(A)$, and the effective strength of the isovector mean-potential, $κ(A)$. Surprisingly, our results reveal that in modern parameterizations including SLy4, SkO, SkXc, and SkP these two basic ingredients of $a_{sym}$ are almost equal after rescaling them linearly by the isoscalar and the isovector effective masses, respectively. This result points toward a new fundamental property of the nuclear interaction that remains to be resolved. In addition, our analysis determines the ratio of the surface-to-volume contributions to $a_{sym}$ to be $\sim$1.6, consistent with hydrodynamical estimates for the static dipole polarizability as well as the neutron-skin.

nucl-th

Cranking in isospace - towards a consistent mean-field description of N=Z nuclei

Excitation spectra of T=0,1,2 states in even-even (e-e) and odd-odd (o-o) N=Z nuclei are analyzed within a mean-field based model involving isovector and isoscalar pairing interactions and the iso-cranking formalism applied to restore approximately isospin symmetry. It is shown that T=0 states in o-o and T=1 states in e-e nuclei correspond to two-quasiparticle, time-reversal symmetry breaking excitations since their angular momenta are different than zero. On the other hand the lowest T=2 states in e-e and T=1 states in o-o nuclei, which both are similar in structure to their even-even isobaric analogue states, are described as e-e type vaccua excited (iso-cranked) in isospace. It appears that in all cases isoscalar pairing plays a crucial role in restoring the proper value of the inertia parameter in isospace.

nucl-th