What can be learned from binding energy differences about nuclear structure: The example of {delta}V{sub pn}

Journal Article · Wed Jun 15 00:00:00 EDT 2011 · Physical Review. C, Nuclear Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVC.83.064319· OSTI ID:21502779

Bender, M ^[1]; Heenen, P -H ^[2]

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1. Centre d'Etudes Nucleaires de Bordeaux Gradignan, UMR5797, Universite Bordeaux, F-33175 Gradignan (France)
2. Physique Nucleaire Theorique, CP229, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, B-1050 Bruxelles (Belgium)

We perform an analysis of a binding energy difference called {delta}V{sub pn}(N,Z){identical_to}-(1/4)[E(Z,N)-E(Z,N-2)-E(Z-2,N)+E(Z-2,N-2)] in the framework of a realistic nuclear model. It has been suggested that {delta}V{sub pn} values provide a sensitive probe of nuclear structure, and it has been put forward as a primary motivation for the measurement of specific nuclear masses. Using the angular momentum and particle-number projected generator coordinate method and the Skyrme interaction SLy4, we analyze the contribution brought to {delta}V{sub pn} by static deformation and dynamic fluctuations around the mean-field ground state. Our method gives a good overall description of {delta}V{sub pn} throughout the chart of nuclei with the exception of the anomaly related to the Wigner energy along the N=Z line. The main conclusions of our analysis of {delta}V{sub pn}, which are at variance with its standard interpretation, are that (i) the structures seen in the systematics of {delta}V{sub pn} throughout the chart of nuclei can be easily explained combining a smooth background related to the symmetry energy and correlation energies due to deformation and collective fluctuations, (ii) the characteristic pattern of {delta}V{sub pn} having a much larger size for nuclei that add only particles or only holes to a doubly magic nucleus than for nuclei that add particles for one nucleon species and holes for the other is a trivial consequence of the asymmetric definition of {delta}V{sub pn} and not due to a the different structure of these nuclei, (iii) {delta}V{sub pn} does not provide a very reliable indicator for structural changes, (iv){delta}V{sub pn} does not provide a reliable measure of the proton-neutron interaction in the nuclear energy density functional (EDF) or of that between the last filled orbits or of the one summed over all orbits, and (v) {delta}V{sub pn} does not provide a conclusive benchmark for nuclear EDF methods that is superior or complementary to other mass filters such as two-nucleon separation energies or Q values.

• OSTI ID: 21502779
• Journal Information: Physical Review. C, Nuclear Physics, Vol. 83, Issue 6; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevC.83.064319; (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0556-2813
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
ANGULAR MOMENTUM
ASYMMETRY
BENCHMARKS
BINDING ENERGY
DENSITY FUNCTIONAL METHOD
ELECTRON CORRELATION
EXCEPTIONS
FLUCTUATIONS
MAGIC NUCLEI
MASS
MEAN-FIELD THEORY
NUCLEAR DEFORMATION
NUCLEAR ENERGY
NUCLEAR MODELS
NUCLEAR STRUCTURE
NUCLEONS
PROTON-NEUTRON INTERACTIONS
Q-VALUE
SKYRME POTENTIAL
SYMMETRY
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES
BARYON-BARYON INTERACTIONS
BARYONS
CALCULATION METHODS
CORRELATIONS
DEFORMATION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY
FERMIONS
HADRON-HADRON INTERACTIONS
HADRONS
INTERACTIONS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NUCLEI
NUCLEON-NUCLEON INTERACTIONS
NUCLEON-NUCLEON POTENTIAL
PARTICLE INTERACTIONS
POTENTIALS
PROTON-NUCLEON INTERACTIONS
VARIATIONAL METHODS
VARIATIONS