Self-consistent description of high-spin states in doubly magic $^{208}$Pb

TL;DR

This paper presents a self-consistent phonon-coupling model based on Skyrme functionals to analyze high-spin states in $^{208}$Pb, demonstrating the importance of complex configurations for accurate descriptions.

Contribution

First application of a self-consistent nuclear model to high-spin states in $^{208}$Pb, highlighting the necessity of complex configurations beyond RPA.

Findings

Standard Skyrme functionals effectively describe high-spin states.

Complex configurations are essential for accurate modeling of high-spin states.

The model successfully reproduces experimental data for $^{208}$Pb high-spin states.

Abstract

We analyze recent data on a long series of high-spin states in $^{208}$Pb with a self-consistent phonon-coupling model for nuclear excitations based on the Skyrme functionals. The model is the renormalized time-blocking approximation (RenTBA) which takes the coherent one-particle-one-hole (1p1h) states of the random-phase approximation (RPA) as starting point and develops from that more complex configurations beyond RPA. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first investigation of high spin states in $^{208}$Pb using self-consistent nuclear models. The interesting point here is that complex configurations are compulsory to describe the upper end of the long spin series at all. The data thus provide an ideal testing ground for phonon-coupling models as they give direct access to complex configurations. We find that standard Skyrme functionals which perform well in ground state properties and giant resonance excitations deliver at once an agreeable description of these high spin states.