Dynamics of nuclear single-particle structure in covariant theory of particle-vibration coupling: from light to superheavy nuclei

TL;DR

This paper systematically studies how particle-vibration coupling and polarization effects influence single-particle spectra across a wide range of nuclei using a covariant density functional approach, highlighting the importance of vibrations for accurate nuclear modeling.

Contribution

It introduces a fully self-consistent relativistic particle-vibration coupling model that accounts for deformation and time-odd mean fields, improving the understanding of nuclear single-particle structures.

Findings

Particle-vibration coupling significantly impacts single-particle spectra.

Model calculations align well with experimental spectroscopic factors.

Vibrations are essential for explaining level fragmentation.

Abstract

The impact of particle-vibration coupling and polarization effects due to deformation and time-odd mean fields on single-particle spectra is studied systematically in doubly magic nuclei from low mass $^{56}$Ni up to superheavy ones. Particle-vibration coupling is treated fully self-consistently within the framework of relativistic particle-vibration coupling model. Polarization effects due to deformation and time-odd mean field induced by odd particle are computed within covariant density functional theory. It has been found that among these contributions the coupling to vibrations makes a major impact on the single-particle structure. The impact of particle-vibration coupling and polarization effects on calculated single-particle spectra, the size of the shell gaps, the spin-orbit splittings and the energy splittings in pseudospin doublets is discussed in detail; these physical observables are compared with experiment. Particle-vibration coupling has to be taken into account when model calculations are compared with experiment since this coupling is responsible for observed fragmentation of experimental levels; experimental spectroscopic factors are reasonably well described in model calculations.