Description of nuclear octupole and quadrupole deformation close to the axial symmetry: Critical-point behavior of 224Ra and 224Th

TL;DR

This paper models nuclear octupole and quadrupole deformations near axial symmetry, analyzing shape phase transitions in transitional nuclei 224Ra, 226Ra, and 224Th, and comparing theoretical predictions with experimental data.

Contribution

It applies a previously introduced model to describe shape phase transitions near axial symmetry in specific nuclei, incorporating a two-dimensional square-well potential.

Findings

Level schemes are well reproduced by the model.

Electromagnetic transition amplitudes agree with experimental data.

The model captures critical-point behavior in shape phase transitions.

Abstract

The model, introduced in a previous paper, for the description of the octupole and quadrupole degrees of freedom in conditions close to the axial symmetry, is applied to situations of shape phase transitions where the quadrupole amplitude can reach zero. The transitional nuclei 224,226Ra and 224Th are discussed in the frame of this model. Their level schemes can be reasonably accounted for assuming a square-well potential in two dimensions. Electromagnetic transition amplitudes are also evaluated and compared with existing experimental data.