Characterization of the shape-staggering effect in mercury nuclei

B. A. Marsh; T. Day Goodacre; S. Sels; Y. Tsunoda; B. Andel; A. N. Andreyev; N. A. Althubiti; D. Atanasov; A. E. Barzakh; J. Billowes; K. Blaum; T. E. Cocolios; J. G. Cubiss; J. Dobaczewski; G. J. Farooq-Smith; D. V. Fedorov; V. N. Fedosseev; K. T. Flanagan; L. P. Gaffney; L. Ghys; M. Huyse; S. Kreim; D. Lunney; K. M. Lynch; V. Manea; Y. Martinez Palenzuela; P. L. Molkanov; T. Otsuka; A. Pastore; M. Rosenbusch; R. E. Rossel; S. Rothe; L. Schweikhard; M. D. Seliverstov; P. Spagnoletti; C. Van Beveren; P. Van Duppen; M. Veinhard; E. Verstraelen; A. Welker; K. Wendt; F. Wienholtz; R. N. Wolf; A. Zadvornaya; K. Zuber

doi:10.1038/s41567-018-0292-8

Characterization of the shape-staggering effect in mercury nuclei

B. A. Marsh, T. Day Goodacre, S. Sels, Y. Tsunoda, B. Andel, A. N. Andreyev, N. A. Althubiti, D. Atanasov, A. E. Barzakh, J. Billowes, K. Blaum, T. E. Cocolios, J. G. Cubiss, J. Dobaczewski, G. J. Farooq-Smith, D. V. Fedorov, V. N. Fedosseev, K. T. Flanagan, L. P. Gaffney, L. GhysM. Huyse, S. Kreim, D. Lunney, K. M. Lynch, V. Manea, Y. Martinez Palenzuela, P. L. Molkanov, T. Otsuka, A. Pastore, M. Rosenbusch, R. E. Rossel, S. Rothe, L. Schweikhard, M. D. Seliverstov, P. Spagnoletti, C. Van Beveren, P. Van Duppen, M. Veinhard, E. Verstraelen, A. Welker, K. Wendt, F. Wienholtz, R. N. Wolf, A. Zadvornaya, K. Zuber

Physics

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Abstract

In rare cases, the removal of a single proton (Z) or neutron (N) from an atomic nucleus leads to a dramatic shape change. These instances are crucial for understanding the components of the nuclear interactions that drive deformation. The mercury isotopes (Z = 80) are a striking example1,2: their close neighbours, the lead isotopes (Z = 82), are spherical and steadily shrink with decreasing N. The even-mass (A = N + Z) mercury isotopes follow this trend. The odd-mass mercury isotopes 181,183,185Hg, however, exhibit noticeably larger charge radii. Due to the experimental difficulties of probing extremely neutron-deficient systems, and the computational complexity of modelling such heavy nuclides, the microscopic origin of this unique shape staggering has remained unclear. Here, by applying resonance ionization spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and nuclear spectroscopy as far as 177Hg, we determine 181Hg as the shape-staggering endpoint. By combining our experimental measurements with Monte Carlo shell model calculations, we conclude that this phenomenon results from the interplay between monopole and quadrupole interactions driving a quantum phase transition, for which we identify the participating orbitals. Although shape staggering in the mercury isotopes is a unique and localized feature in the nuclear chart, it nicely illustrates the concurrence of single-particle and collective degrees of freedom at play in atomic nuclei.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1163-1167
Number of pages	5
Journal	Nature Physics
Volume	14
Issue number	12
Early online date	1 Oct 2018
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-018-0292-8
Publication status	Published - 1 Dec 2018

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10.1038/s41567-018-0292-8

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Marsh, B. A., Day Goodacre, T., Sels, S., Tsunoda, Y., Andel, B., Andreyev, A. N., Althubiti, N. A., Atanasov, D., Barzakh, A. E., Billowes, J., Blaum, K., Cocolios, T. E., Cubiss, J. G., Dobaczewski, J., Farooq-Smith, G. J., Fedorov, D. V., Fedosseev, V. N., Flanagan, K. T., Gaffney, L. P., ... Zuber, K. (2018). Characterization of the shape-staggering effect in mercury nuclei. Nature Physics, 14(12), 1163-1167. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-018-0292-8

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title = "Characterization of the shape-staggering effect in mercury nuclei",

abstract = "In rare cases, the removal of a single proton (Z) or neutron (N) from an atomic nucleus leads to a dramatic shape change. These instances are crucial for understanding the components of the nuclear interactions that drive deformation. The mercury isotopes (Z = 80) are a striking example1,2: their close neighbours, the lead isotopes (Z = 82), are spherical and steadily shrink with decreasing N. The even-mass (A = N + Z) mercury isotopes follow this trend. The odd-mass mercury isotopes 181,183,185Hg, however, exhibit noticeably larger charge radii. Due to the experimental difficulties of probing extremely neutron-deficient systems, and the computational complexity of modelling such heavy nuclides, the microscopic origin of this unique shape staggering has remained unclear. Here, by applying resonance ionization spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and nuclear spectroscopy as far as 177Hg, we determine 181Hg as the shape-staggering endpoint. By combining our experimental measurements with Monte Carlo shell model calculations, we conclude that this phenomenon results from the interplay between monopole and quadrupole interactions driving a quantum phase transition, for which we identify the participating orbitals. Although shape staggering in the mercury isotopes is a unique and localized feature in the nuclear chart, it nicely illustrates the concurrence of single-particle and collective degrees of freedom at play in atomic nuclei.",

author = "Marsh, {B. A.} and {Day Goodacre}, T. and S. Sels and Y. Tsunoda and B. Andel and Andreyev, {A. N.} and Althubiti, {N. A.} and D. Atanasov and Barzakh, {A. E.} and J. Billowes and K. Blaum and Cocolios, {T. E.} and Cubiss, {J. G.} and J. Dobaczewski and Farooq-Smith, {G. J.} and Fedorov, {D. V.} and Fedosseev, {V. N.} and Flanagan, {K. T.} and Gaffney, {L. P.} and L. Ghys and M. Huyse and S. Kreim and D. Lunney and Lynch, {K. M.} and V. Manea and {Martinez Palenzuela}, Y. and Molkanov, {P. L.} and T. Otsuka and A. Pastore and M. Rosenbusch and Rossel, {R. E.} and S. Rothe and L. Schweikhard and Seliverstov, {M. D.} and P. Spagnoletti and {Van Beveren}, C. and {Van Duppen}, P. and M. Veinhard and E. Verstraelen and A. Welker and K. Wendt and F. Wienholtz and Wolf, {R. N.} and A. Zadvornaya and K. Zuber",

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Marsh, BA, Day Goodacre, T, Sels, S, Tsunoda, Y, Andel, B, Andreyev, AN, Althubiti, NA, Atanasov, D, Barzakh, AE, Billowes, J, Blaum, K, Cocolios, TE, Cubiss, JG , Dobaczewski, J, Farooq-Smith, GJ, Fedorov, DV, Fedosseev, VN, Flanagan, KT, Gaffney, LP, Ghys, L, Huyse, M, Kreim, S, Lunney, D, Lynch, KM, Manea, V, Martinez Palenzuela, Y, Molkanov, PL, Otsuka, T, Pastore, A, Rosenbusch, M, Rossel, RE, Rothe, S, Schweikhard, L, Seliverstov, MD, Spagnoletti, P, Van Beveren, C, Van Duppen, P, Veinhard, M, Verstraelen, E, Welker, A, Wendt, K, Wienholtz, F, Wolf, RN, Zadvornaya, A & Zuber, K 2018, 'Characterization of the shape-staggering effect in mercury nuclei', Nature Physics, vol. 14, no. 12, pp. 1163-1167. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-018-0292-8

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T1 - Characterization of the shape-staggering effect in mercury nuclei

AU - Marsh, B. A.

AU - Day Goodacre, T.

AU - Sels, S.

AU - Tsunoda, Y.

AU - Andel, B.

AU - Andreyev, A. N.

AU - Althubiti, N. A.

AU - Atanasov, D.

AU - Barzakh, A. E.

AU - Billowes, J.

AU - Blaum, K.

AU - Cocolios, T. E.

AU - Cubiss, J. G.

AU - Dobaczewski, J.

AU - Farooq-Smith, G. J.

AU - Fedorov, D. V.

AU - Fedosseev, V. N.

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AU - Ghys, L.

AU - Huyse, M.

AU - Kreim, S.

AU - Lunney, D.

AU - Lynch, K. M.

AU - Manea, V.

AU - Martinez Palenzuela, Y.

AU - Molkanov, P. L.

AU - Otsuka, T.

AU - Pastore, A.

AU - Rosenbusch, M.

AU - Rossel, R. E.

AU - Rothe, S.

AU - Schweikhard, L.

AU - Seliverstov, M. D.

AU - Spagnoletti, P.

AU - Van Beveren, C.

AU - Van Duppen, P.

AU - Veinhard, M.

AU - Verstraelen, E.

AU - Welker, A.

AU - Wendt, K.

AU - Wienholtz, F.

AU - Wolf, R. N.

AU - Zadvornaya, A.

AU - Zuber, K.

N1 - This is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self-archiving policy. Further copying may not be permitted; contact the publisher for details.

PY - 2018/12/1

Y1 - 2018/12/1

N2 - In rare cases, the removal of a single proton (Z) or neutron (N) from an atomic nucleus leads to a dramatic shape change. These instances are crucial for understanding the components of the nuclear interactions that drive deformation. The mercury isotopes (Z = 80) are a striking example1,2: their close neighbours, the lead isotopes (Z = 82), are spherical and steadily shrink with decreasing N. The even-mass (A = N + Z) mercury isotopes follow this trend. The odd-mass mercury isotopes 181,183,185Hg, however, exhibit noticeably larger charge radii. Due to the experimental difficulties of probing extremely neutron-deficient systems, and the computational complexity of modelling such heavy nuclides, the microscopic origin of this unique shape staggering has remained unclear. Here, by applying resonance ionization spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and nuclear spectroscopy as far as 177Hg, we determine 181Hg as the shape-staggering endpoint. By combining our experimental measurements with Monte Carlo shell model calculations, we conclude that this phenomenon results from the interplay between monopole and quadrupole interactions driving a quantum phase transition, for which we identify the participating orbitals. Although shape staggering in the mercury isotopes is a unique and localized feature in the nuclear chart, it nicely illustrates the concurrence of single-particle and collective degrees of freedom at play in atomic nuclei.

AB - In rare cases, the removal of a single proton (Z) or neutron (N) from an atomic nucleus leads to a dramatic shape change. These instances are crucial for understanding the components of the nuclear interactions that drive deformation. The mercury isotopes (Z = 80) are a striking example1,2: their close neighbours, the lead isotopes (Z = 82), are spherical and steadily shrink with decreasing N. The even-mass (A = N + Z) mercury isotopes follow this trend. The odd-mass mercury isotopes 181,183,185Hg, however, exhibit noticeably larger charge radii. Due to the experimental difficulties of probing extremely neutron-deficient systems, and the computational complexity of modelling such heavy nuclides, the microscopic origin of this unique shape staggering has remained unclear. Here, by applying resonance ionization spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and nuclear spectroscopy as far as 177Hg, we determine 181Hg as the shape-staggering endpoint. By combining our experimental measurements with Monte Carlo shell model calculations, we conclude that this phenomenon results from the interplay between monopole and quadrupole interactions driving a quantum phase transition, for which we identify the participating orbitals. Although shape staggering in the mercury isotopes is a unique and localized feature in the nuclear chart, it nicely illustrates the concurrence of single-particle and collective degrees of freedom at play in atomic nuclei.

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DO - 10.1038/s41567-018-0292-8

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JO - Nature Physics

JF - Nature Physics

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Characterization of the shape-staggering effect in mercury nuclei

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Andrey Andreyev

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Characterization of the shape-staggering effect in mercury nuclei

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Andrey Andreyev

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