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Title: Electron capture {beta} decay of {sup 7}Be encapsulated in C{sub 60}: Origin of increased electron density at the {sup 7}Be nucleus

Journal Article · · Physical Review. C, Nuclear Physics
 [1]; ;  [1]
  1. Skobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie gory, Moscow, 119991 (Russian Federation)

We offer a new theoretical interpretation for the effect of enhanced electron density at the {sup 7}Be nucleus encapsulated in fullerene C{sub 60}. Our ab initio Hartree-Fock calculations show that the electron density at the {sup 7}Be nucleus in {sup 7}Be-C{sub 60} increases due to the attractive effective potential well generated by the fullerene. The 2s state in the isolated Be atom turns into a 3s state in the joint potential. This new state has higher energy and slightly larger amplitude at the Be nucleus than the previous 2s state. Moreover the 3s wave function has an additional node that appeared at a distance rapprox =5a{sub B} from the center. The node imitates repulsion between the Be electron and the fullerene wall because the electron has zero probability to occupy this region. Such an imitation of the repulsion by means of the node in an attractive potential has a direct physical analogy in the theory of {alpha}-{alpha} and N-N nuclear interactions.

OSTI ID:
21386613
Journal Information:
Physical Review. C, Nuclear Physics, Vol. 81, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevC.81.024610; (c) 2010 The American Physical Society; ISSN 0556-2813
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English