Alpha decay in intense laser fields: Calculations using realistic nuclear potentials

TL;DR

This paper investigates how intense laser fields can influence nuclear alpha decay rates using realistic potentials, revealing that decay energies and angular factors affect the extent of modification achievable.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed calculation of laser-induced modifications to alpha decay using realistic nuclear potentials, highlighting energy and angular dependencies.

Findings

Alpha decay rates can be modified by strong laser fields.

Lower decay energy alpha decays are more susceptible to modification.

Angle-resolved penetrability is more easily affected than angle-integrated.

Abstract

We calculate the effect of intense laser fields on nuclear alpha decay processes, using realistic and quantitative nuclear potentials. We show that alpha decay rates can indeed be modified by strong laser fields to some finite extent. We also predict that alpha decays with lower decay energies are relatively easier to be modified than those with higher decay energies, due to longer tunneling paths for the laser field to act on. Furthermore, we predict that modifications to angle-resolved penetrability are easier to achieve than modifications to angle-integrated penetrability.