The platinum nuclei: concealed configuration mixing and shape coexistence

TL;DR

This paper investigates the influence of configuration mixing on shape coexistence in platinum nuclei, revealing smooth shape transitions and emphasizing the importance of intruder configurations for accurate modeling.

Contribution

It applies the Interacting Boson Model with configuration mixing to describe shape coexistence and property systematics in platinum isotopes, highlighting the role of intruder configurations.

Findings

Ground state shape transitions from spherical to deformed across isotopes.

Configuration mixing significantly affects energy spectra and electromagnetic properties.

Intruder configurations are essential for accurate descriptions of isotope shifts and decay hindrance factors.

Abstract

The role of configuration mixing in the Pt region is investigated. For this chain of isotopes, the nature of the ground state changes smoothly, being spherical around mass $A\sim 174$ and $A\sim 192$ and deformed around the mid-shell N=104 region. This has a dramatic effect on the systematics of the energy spectra as compared to the systematics in the Pb and Hg nuclei. Interacting Boson Model with configuration mixing calculations are presented for gyromagnetic factors, $\alpha$-decay hindrance factors, and isotope shifts. The necessity of incorporating intruder configurations to obtain an accurate description of the latter properties becomes evident.