Comparative study of fusion barriers using Skyrme interactions and the energy density functional

TL;DR

This study compares fusion barrier predictions using various Skyrme interactions within the energy density functional framework, highlighting the superior performance of SVI, SII, and SIII forces in reproducing empirical barrier heights and explaining fusion cross sections.

Contribution

It provides a comparative analysis of Skyrme interactions for fusion barriers, identifying the most accurate forces within the energy density formalism.

Findings

SVI, SII, and SIII forces accurately reproduce empirical barrier heights.

Calculated potentials explain fusion cross sections near and above the barrier.

Certain Skyrme forces outperform others in this formalism.

Abstract

Using different Skyrme interactions, we have carried out a comparative analysis of fusion barriers for a wide range of interacting nuclei in the framework of semiclassical Skyrme energy density formalism. The results of our calculations reveal that SVI, SII, and SIII Skyrme forces are able to reproduce the empirical values of barrier heights with higher accuracy than the other considered forces in this formalism. It is also shown that the calculated nucleus-nucleus potentials derived from such Skyrme interactions are able to explain the fusion cross sections at energies near and above the barrier.