Abstract
The heaviest nuclei where excitations above the ground state can be studied lie near Z ~ 100. These nuclear structure studies are important testing grounds for theoretical models that aim to describe superheavy nuclei. To study the highest neutron orbitals (150 ≤ N ≤ 154), we have populated high angular momentum states in a series of Pu (Z = 94), Cm (Z = 96) and Cf (Z = 98) nuclei, via inelastic and transfer reactions, with heavy beams on long-lived radioactive actinide targets. Multiple collective excitation modes and structures were identified, and their configurations deduced. Quasiparticle alignments are mapped, with odd-A band structures helping identify specific orbital contributions via blocking arguments. Higher-order multipole shapes are observed to play a significant role in disentangling competing neutron and proton alignments. The N > 152 data provide new perspectives on physics beyond the N = 152 sub-shell gap.
Highlights
The structure of nuclei that lie at the edges of stability in the nuclear landscape hold the most discovery potential for new physics
The heaviest nuclei where such spectroscopy is possible lie near Z ∼ 100 [1], where the nuclei exhibit surprisingly robust fission barriers up to high angular momenta [2]. These studies provide critical input for constraining theoretical models that attempt to describe the physics of superheavy nuclei, which include singleparticle energies, shell gaps and pairing
We have focused on studying the highest neutron orbitals with 150 ≤ N ≤ 154
Summary
The structure of nuclei that lie at the edges of stability in the nuclear landscape hold the most discovery potential for new physics. The heaviest nuclei where such spectroscopy is possible lie near Z ∼ 100 [1], where the nuclei exhibit surprisingly robust fission barriers up to high angular momenta [2]. These studies provide critical input for constraining theoretical models that attempt to describe the physics of superheavy nuclei, which include singleparticle energies, shell gaps and pairing. Compared to fusion reactions leading to Z ≥ 100, inelastic and transfer reactions with Z < 100 nuclei have comparatively higher cross-sections, and can populate more neutron-rich nuclei. We have focused on studying the highest neutron orbitals with 150 ≤ N ≤ 154
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