alpha-cluster states in intermediate mass nuclei

TL;DR

This study applies the alpha-cluster model with double-folding potentials to intermediate mass nuclei around A≈80-100, successfully describing their excitation energies, decay properties, and transition strengths, and enabling predictions of unknown properties.

Contribution

It extends the alpha-cluster model to intermediate mass nuclei with N=50, demonstrating its effectiveness beyond light and heavy nuclei.

Findings

Successful description of excitation energies and decay properties

Smooth variation of alpha-nucleus potential parameters

Potential for predicting unknown nuclear properties

Abstract

Properties of intermediate mass nuclei have been investigated within the framework of the alpha-cluster model in combination with systematic double-folding potentials. Previously, this alpha-cluster model has been widely applied to light nuclei, in particular to 8Be = alpha \otimes alpha, 20Ne = 16O \otimes alpha, and 44Ti = 40Ca \otimes alpha, and to heavy nuclei, in particular to 212Po = 208Pb \otimes alpha. In the present work a wide range of nuclei is investigated with the magic neutron number N = 50 in the mass range around A \approx 80 - 100: (A+4,N=52) = (A,N=50) \otimes alpha. It is found that excitation energies, decay properties, and transition strengths can be described successfully within this model. The smooth and small variation of the underlying parameters of the alpha-nucleus potential may be used for extrapolations to predict experimentally unknown properties in the nuclei under study.