Central depression in nucleonic densities: Trend analysis in the nuclear density functional theory approach

Schuetrumpf B, Nazarewicz W, Reinhard PG (2017)


Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2017

Journal

Book Volume: 96

Article Number: 024306

Journal Issue: 2

DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevC.96.024306

Abstract

Background: The central depression of nucleonic density, i.e., a reduction of density in the nuclear interior, has been attributed to many factors. For instance, bubble structures in superheavy nuclei are believed to be due to the electrostatic repulsion. In light nuclei, the mechanism behind the density reduction in the interior has been discussed in terms of shell effects associated with occupations of s orbits. Purpose: The main objective of this work is to reveal mechanisms behind the formation of central depression in nucleonic densities in light and heavy nuclei. To this end, we introduce several measures of the internal nucleonic density. Through the statistical analysis, we study the information content of these measures with respect to nuclear matter properties. Method: We apply nuclear density functional theory with Skyrme functionals. Using the statistical tools of linear least square regression, we inspect correlations between various measures of central depression and model parameters, including nuclear matter properties. We study bivariate correlations with selected quantities as well as multiple correlations with groups of parameters. Detailed correlation analysis is carried out for Si34 for which a bubble structure has been reported recently, Ca48, and N=82, 126, and 184 isotonic chains. Results: We show that the central depression in medium-mass nuclei is very sensitive to shell effects, whereas for superheavy systems it is firmly driven by the electrostatic repulsion. An appreciable semibubble structure in proton density is predicted for Og294, which is currently the heaviest nucleus known experimentally. Conclusion: Our correlation analysis reveals that the central density indicators in nuclei below Pb208 carry little information on parameters of nuclear matter; they are predominantly driven by shell structure. On the other hand, in the superheavy nuclei there exists a clear relationship between the central nucleonic density and symmetry energy.

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APA:

Schuetrumpf, B., Nazarewicz, W., & Reinhard, P.-G. (2017). Central depression in nucleonic densities: Trend analysis in the nuclear density functional theory approach. Physical Review C - Nuclear Physics, 96(2). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.96.024306

MLA:

Schuetrumpf, B., W. Nazarewicz, and Paul-Gerhard Reinhard. "Central depression in nucleonic densities: Trend analysis in the nuclear density functional theory approach." Physical Review C - Nuclear Physics 96.2 (2017).

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