Power-law intensity distribution in $\gamma$-decay cascades -- Nuclear Structure as a Scale-Free Random Network

TL;DR

This paper models nuclear gamma-decay cascades as scale-free networks, revealing a universal power-law distribution of gamma-ray intensities, supported by data analysis and numerical simulations.

Contribution

It introduces a novel network-based model for gamma-decay cascades, demonstrating a universal power-law distribution of intensities across diverse nuclear data.

Findings

Power-law distribution of gamma-ray intensities with exponent -2

Universal pattern observed across different nuclei and reactions

Numerical simulations support the network model predictions

Abstract

By modeling the transition paths of the nuclear $\gamma$-decay cascade using a scale-free random network, we uncover a universal power-law distribution of $\gamma$-ray intensity $\rho_I(I) \propto I^{-2}$, with $I$ the $\gamma$-ray intensity of each transition. This property is consistently observed for all datasets with a sufficient number of $\gamma$-ray intensity entries in the National Nuclear Data Center database, regardless of the reaction type or nuclei involved. In addition, we perform numerical simulations which support the model's predictions of level population density.