Beta-decay properties of neutron-rich Ge, Se, Kr, Sr, Ru, and Pd isotopes from deformed quasiparticle random-phase approximation

TL;DR

This study models the beta-decay properties of neutron-rich isotopes of Ge, Se, Kr, Sr, Ru, and Pd using a deformed quasiparticle random-phase approximation, emphasizing the role of nuclear deformation in decay characteristics relevant to astrophysics.

Contribution

It introduces a self-consistent approach combining deformed Skyrme Hartree-Fock calculations with quasiparticle RPA to predict decay properties of neutron-rich isotopes, highlighting deformation effects.

Findings

Nuclear deformation significantly influences decay properties.

Predicted beta-decay half-lives align with experimental data.

Deformation impacts Gamow-Teller strength distributions.

Abstract

Beta-decay properties of even and odd-A neutron-rich Ge, Se, Kr, Sr, Ru, and Pd isotopes involved in the astrophysical rapid neutron capture process are studied within a deformed proton-neutron quasiparticle random-phase approximation. The underlying mean field is described self-consistently from deformed Skyrme Hartree-Fock calculations with pairing correlations. Residual interactions in the particle-hole and particle-particle channels are also included in the formalism. The isotopic evolution of the various nuclear equilibrium shapes and the corresponding charge radii are investigated in all the isotopic chains. The energy distributions of the Gamow-Teller strength as well as the beta-decay half-lives are discussed and compared with the available experimental information. It is shown that nuclear deformation plays a significant role in the description of the decay properties in this mass region. Reliable predictions of the strength distributions are essential to evaluate decay rates in astrophysical scenarios.