Note on the oblate and prolate deformations in nuclear matter from the viewpoint of the quantum-mechanical off-center effect

TL;DR

This paper explores how quantum-mechanical off-center effects, similar to those in solid state physics, could explain the oblate and prolate shapes of nuclei through fermion-boson interactions involving nucleons and pi-meson fields.

Contribution

It proposes a novel mechanism for nuclear deformation based on off-center effects and supports it with theoretical calculations.

Findings

Off-center effects can induce nuclear shape deformations.

Fermion-boson coupling explains oblate and prolate nuclei.

Calculations support the proposed deformation mechanism.

Abstract

We consider the possibility that a quantum-mechanical off-center effect may be behind the deformed oblate and prolate shapes of nuclei in nuclear physics. In solid state physics, finite off-center displacements result from the mixing of electronic states through their coupling to vibrational (phonon) modes of appropriate symmetries. This is an example of fermion-boson interaction which may materialize in nuclear physics as well in the form of a coupling of nucleons to the pi-meson field. We carry out calculations to substantiate the proposal.