Octupole correlations in collective excitations of neutron-rich $N\approx56$ nuclei

TL;DR

This study investigates octupole correlations in neutron-rich nuclei around N≈56 using a combined approach of density functional theory and the interacting boson model to predict spectroscopic properties and transition rates.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method combining SCMF calculations with IBM to analyze octupole correlations in neutron-rich nuclei near N=56.

Findings

Negative-parity yrast bands are lowest at N=56.

Energy surfaces are soft in octupole deformation at N≈56.

Finite electric octupole transition rates are predicted.

Abstract

Octupole correlations in the low-energy collective states of neutron-rich nuclei with the neutron number $N\approx56$ are studied within the interacting boson model (IBM) that is based on the nuclear density functional theory. The constrained self-consistent mean-field (SCMF) calculations using a universal energy density functional and a pairing interaction provide the potential energy surfaces in terms of the axially-symmetric quadrupole and octupole deformations for the even-even nuclei $^{86-94}$Se, $^{88-96}$Kr, $^{90-98}$Sr, $^{92-100}$Zr, and $^{94-102}$Mo. The SCMF energy surface is then mapped onto the energy expectation value of a version of the IBM in the boson condensate state, which consists of the neutron and proton monopole $s$, quadrupole $d$, and octupole $f$ bosons. This procedure determines the strength parameters of the IBM Hamiltonian, which is used to compute relevant spectroscopic properties. At the SCMF level, no octupole deformed ground state is obtained, while the energy surface is generally soft in the octupole deformation at $N\approx56$. The predicted negative-parity yrast bands with the bandhead state $3^-_1$ weakly depend on $N$ and become lowest in energy at $N=56$ in each of the considered isotopic chains. The model further predicts finite electric octupole transition rates between the lowest negative- and the positive-parity ground-state bands.