Goodness of Generalized Seniority in Semi-magic Nuclei

TL;DR

This paper investigates the role of generalized seniority as a symmetry-based quantum number in semi-magic nuclei, supported by empirical decay rate data, revealing its significance at high spins across various nuclear chains.

Contribution

It provides empirical and theoretical evidence that generalized seniority explains high-spin isomer trends in semi-magic nuclei involving different valence spaces.

Findings

Seniority remains a good quantum number at high spins.

Generalized seniority explains similar trends across different semi-magic chains.

Decay rates support the theoretical predictions.

Abstract

Symmetry plays an important role in understanding the nuclear structure properties from the rotation of a nucleus to the spin, parity and isospin of nuclear states. This simplifies the complexity of the nuclear problems in one way or the other. Seniority is also a well known quantum number which arises due to the symmetry in the pairing interaction of nuclei. We present empirical as well as theoretical evidences based on decay rates which support the goodness of seniority at higher spins as well as in nrich or, n-deficient nuclei. We find that the generalized seniority governs the identical trends of high-spin isomers in different semi-magic chains, where different set of nucleon orbitals from different valence spaces are involved.