Single-phonon and multi-phonon excitations of the $\gamma$ vibration in rotating odd-$A$ nuclei

TL;DR

This paper models multi-phonon gamma vibrational states in odd-A nuclei, successfully reproducing observed spectra and predicting collective three-phonon states with enhanced transition probabilities.

Contribution

It extends previous models to better describe two- and three-phonon gamma vibrational states and predicts the existence of collective three-phonon states in odd-A nuclei.

Findings

Reproduces observed spectra of 0γ-2γ states in 103Nb and 105Nb.

Predicts collective 3γ states with enhanced B(E2) transitions.

Identifies the most collective 3γ state as a main component of observed bands.

Abstract

Multi-phonon excitations in atomic nuclei were observed very rarely although collective motions in quantum many-body systems are described as bosonic excitations. In particular, the first two-phonon $\gamma$ vibrational ($2\gamma$) excitation in odd-$A$ nuclei was reported in 2006 and only a few have been known. Quite recently, conspicuously enhanced $B(E2)$s feeding $2\gamma$ states were observed in $^{105}$Nb and conjectured that their parent states are candidates of $3\gamma$ states. In the present work, the model space is enlarged from the present author's previous calculation for $^{103}$Nb. The purpose is twofold: One is to see how the description of $2\gamma$ states is improved, and the other is to examine the existence of collective $3\gamma$ states, and when they exist, study their collectivity through calculating interband $B(E2)$s. The particle-vibration coupling model based on the cranking model and the random-phase approximation is used to calculate the vibrational states in rotating odd-$A$ nuclei. Interband $B(E2)$s are calculated by adopting the method of the generalized intensity relation. The present calculation reproduces the observed spectra of $0\gamma$ - $2\gamma$ states well and gives collective $3\gamma$ states with enhanced $B(E2)$s to $2\gamma$ states in $^{103}$Nb and $^{105}$Nb. The most collective $3\gamma$ state with the highest $K$ at zero rotation is thought to be the main component of the observed band.