A unified mechanism for the origin and evolution of nuclear magicity

TL;DR

This paper proposes a new mechanism involving the Dirac mass kinetic term and spin-orbit interaction to explain the origin and evolution of nuclear magic numbers, addressing gaps revealed by recent experiments on exotic nuclei.

Contribution

It introduces a novel perspective on nuclear shell structure, emphasizing the role of the Dirac mass kinetic term in redefining magic numbers across stable and exotic nuclei.

Findings

The Dirac mass kinetic term influences nuclear shell structure.

The mechanism redefines magic numbers in exotic nuclei.

Provides a unified understanding of nuclear magicity evolution.

Abstract

A simple pattern of organisation, the nuclear shell structure, emerges from the complex interactions between nucleons in nuclei and determines, to some significant degree, nuclear structure properties. Recent experimental investigations of exotic nuclei revealed a shortfall in our current understanding of nuclear shell evolution and nuclear magicity. We introduce a novel perspective where the Dirac mass kinetic term, which stems from the singular participation of a spin-0 boson in the nuclear strong force, plays a pivotal role in generating the nuclear shell structure. Namely, the combination of the Dirac mass kinetic Term with the spin-orbit term redefines magic numbers both in stable and exotic nuclei. The identification of this mechanism allows to provide a broad understanding of the origin and evolution of nuclear magic numbers.