Symmetry properties of pair correlations in heavy deformed nuclei

TL;DR

This paper investigates how nuclear deformation influences different pairing correlations in heavy deformed nuclei, revealing that deformation enhances spin-triplet pairing, with detailed theoretical analysis and implications for nuclear structure understanding.

Contribution

It provides a detailed deformed multimodal Hartree-Fock-Bogolyubov theory analysis showing deformation enhances spin-triplet pairing in certain nuclei.

Findings

Deformation enhances spin-triplet pairing correlations.

Different pairing correlations respond uniquely to deformation modes.

Signatures of pairing correlations are observed in odd-even mass staggering.

Abstract

Nucleons are known to form pairing correlations with various types of spin-symmetries. Spin-singlet neutron-neutron and proton-proton pairing is abundant in the nuclear chart but spin-triplet and mixed-spin proton-neutron pairing correlations have also been predicted to form at least in the ground states of certain nuclei. A realistic candidate region is that of the lightest Lanthanides where it was recently demonstrated that the nuclear deformation expected to emerge enhances spin-triplet pairing correlations. In this paper we provide the details of the deformed multimodal Hartree-Fock-Bogolyubov theory that lead to this conclusion, as well as the details of the effects identified. We present in detail the response of different pairing correlations to various deformation modes and calculate their signatures in the odd-even staggering of masses. This paper provides a detailed discussion, and some resolutions, on the long-standing question ``what is the effect of nuclear deformation on the various pairing correlations?''