Alpha clusters in nuclei with 41 ≦ A ≦ 45

Abstract

The effect of pairing and surface α-clustering structure was studied by means of a Hamiltonian with pairing and four-body interaction terms in a simple two-level model in odd nuclei with 41 ≦ A ≦ 45. It was shown that the dynamical α-structures can be induced by the pairing correlation alone, but with an unusually large value of the strength G of the pairing interaction. The addition of a small four-body interaction term allowed us to diminish the G-value to a physically reasonable one and, at the same time, to get meaningful α-clustering. The four-body term added to the Hamiltonian is a simplified way to improve, in this respect, the two-body pairing interaction (itself a simplified model interaction). For example, in the ground state of 45Ti the “α-clusters” appeared with larger probability than that for separate nucleons, while in 45Ca both probabilities are approximately equal. The calculated binding energy was also applied to reproduce the experimental difference of the masses of neighbouring nuclei. With the eigenstates of the Hamiltonian, schematic spectroscopic factors for two-nucleon transfer, α-transfer, and elastic scattering of α-particles were also calculated. Spectroscopic factors for the transitions from ground state to ground state and from ground state to excited state were then used to distinguish between superfluid or normal behaviour of these nuclei. In addition to the superfluidity induced by pairing forces, a superfluidity due to four-body correlations was also predicted.