Proton emission with a screened electrostatic barrier

TL;DR

This paper presents a simple analytical model to calculate proton emission half-lives in nuclei with Z≥51, incorporating electrostatic, centrifugal, and overlap effects, showing good agreement with experimental data.

Contribution

The model introduces a single free parameter using a Hulthen potential to emulate Coulomb interaction, providing accurate predictions and orbital momentum assignments.

Findings

Excellent agreement with experimental half-lives for most nuclei

Predictions for cases with uncertain configurations

Orbital momentum assignments consistent with experimental differentiation

Abstract

Half-lives of proton emission for Z$\ge$51 nuclei are calculated within a simple analytical model based on the WKB approximation for the barrier penetration probability which includes the centrifugal and overlapping effects besides the electrostatic repulsion. The model has a single free parameter associated to a Hulthen potential which emulates a Coulomb electrostatic interaction only at short distance. The agreement with experimental data is very good for most of the considered nuclei. Theoretical predictions are made for few cases with uncertain emitting state configuration or incomplete decay information. The model's assignment of the proton orbital momentum is in agreement with the differentiation of the experimental data by orbital momentum values realized with a newly introduced correlation formula.