Further improvements on a global nuclear mass model

TL;DR

This paper presents an improved global nuclear mass model with reduced deviations from known masses, enhanced predictive power, and insights into the relations between model accuracy and nuclear physics constraints.

Contribution

The authors enhance a semi-empirical mass formula by residual corrections, achieving lower rms deviations and better reproducing nuclear decay energies and relations, advancing nuclear mass modeling.

Findings

Rms deviation from known masses reduced to 336 keV.

Model accurately reproduces alpha-decay energies and Garvey-Kelson relations.

Fulfilling IMME and Garvey-Kelson relations improves model predictions.

Abstract

The semi-empirical macroscopic-microscopic mass formula is further improved by considering some residual corrections. The rms deviation from 2149 known nuclear masses is significantly reduced to 336 keV, even lower than that achieved with the best of the Duflo-Zuker models. The alpha-decay energies of super-heavy nuclei, the Garvey-Kelson relations and the isobaric multiplet mass equation (IMME) can be reproduced remarkably well with the model, and the predictive power of the mass model is good. With a systematic study of 17 global nuclear mass models, we find that the quadratic form of the IMME is closely related to the accuracy of nuclear mass calculations when the Garvey-Kelson relations are reproduced reasonably well. Fulfilling both the IMME and the Garvey-Kelson relations seems to be two necessary conditions to improve the quality of the model prediction. Furthermore, the alpha-decay energies of super-heavy nuclei should be used as an additional constraint on the global nuclear mass models.