Global performance of covariant density functional theory in description of charge radii and related indicators

TL;DR

This paper reviews the global performance of covariant density functional theory in accurately describing charge radii and related indicators across the nuclear chart, highlighting uncertainties, deformation effects, and new mechanisms.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive assessment of CDFT's accuracy in predicting charge radii, including new results on deformed nuclei and insights into odd-even staggering mechanisms.

Findings

CDFT accurately describes experimental charge radii globally.

Uncertainties in charge radii predictions are quantitatively evaluated.

Octupole deformation influences charge radii in actinides and superheavy nuclei.

Abstract

A short review of existing efforts to understand charge radii and related indicators on a global scale within the covariant density functional theory (CDFT) is presented. Using major classes of covariant energy density functionals (CEDFs), the global accuracy of the description of experimental absolute and differential charge radii within the CDFT framework has been established. This assessment is supplemented by an evaluation of theoretical statistical and systematic uncertainties in the description of charge radii. New results on the accuracy of the description of differential charge radii in deformed actinides and light superheavy nuclei are presented and the role of octupole deformation in their reproduction is evaluated. Novel mechanisms leading to odd-even staggering in charge radii are discussed. Finally, we analyze the role of self-consistency effects in an accurate description of differential charge radii.