Abstract
An asymptotically exact quantum mechanical calculation of the matrix elements for tunneling through an asymmetric barrier is combined with the two-state statistical model for decay out of superdeformed bands to determine the energy barrier (as a function of spin) separating the superdeformed and normal-deformed wells for several nuclei in the 190 and 150 mass regions. The spin-dependence of the barrier leading to sudden decay out is shown to be consistent with the decrease of a centrifugal barrier with decreasing angular momentum. Values of the barrier frequency in the two mass regions are predicted.
Highlights
Since their first experimental observation [1], superdeformed (SD) nuclear states, with their strong ellipsoidal deformation and special set of shell closures, have offered a tantalizing and unique window into subatomic physics
An asymptotically exact quantum mechanical calculation of the matrix elements for tunneling through an asymmetric barrier is combined with the two-state statistical model for decay out of superdeformed bands to determine the energy barrier separating the superdeformed and normal-deformed wells for several nuclei in the 190 and 150 mass regions
In the standard theoretical approach [2, 3], this process is modeled by a two-well potential function of deformation: Here, the nucleus is a single quantum mechanical particle, which tunnels between the two wells, and can escape the system via electromagnetically induced decay from either
Summary
Since their first experimental observation [1], superdeformed (SD) nuclear states, with their strong ellipsoidal deformation and special set of shell closures, have offered a tantalizing and unique window into subatomic physics. Determining the Energy Barrier for Decay out of Superdeformed Bands
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