Charge radii of exotic potassium isotopes challenge nuclear theory and the magic character of $N = 32$

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Main Authors: Koszorús, Á., Yang, X. F., Jiang, W. G., Novario, S. J., Bai, S. W., Billowes, J., Binnersley, C. L., Bissell, M. L., Cocolios, T. E., Cooper, B. S., de Groote, R. P., Ekström, A., Flanagan, K. T., Forssén, C., Franchoo, S., Ruiz, R. F. Garcia, Gustafsson, F. P., Hagen, G., Jansen, G. R., Kanellakopoulos, A., Kortelainen, M., Nazarewicz, W., Neyens, G., Papenbrock, T., Reinhard, P. -G., Sahoo, B. K., Ricketts, C. M., Vernon, A. R., Wilkins, S. G.
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Published: 2020
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author Koszorús, Á.
Yang, X. F.
Jiang, W. G.
Novario, S. J.
Bai, S. W.
Billowes, J.
Binnersley, C. L.
Bissell, M. L.
Cocolios, T. E.
Cooper, B. S.
de Groote, R. P.
Ekström, A.
Flanagan, K. T.
Forssén, C.
Franchoo, S.
Ruiz, R. F. Garcia
Gustafsson, F. P.
Hagen, G.
Jansen, G. R.
Kanellakopoulos, A.
Kortelainen, M.
Nazarewicz, W.
Neyens, G.
Papenbrock, T.
Reinhard, P. -G.
Sahoo, B. K.
Ricketts, C. M.
Vernon, A. R.
Wilkins, S. G.
author_facet Koszorús, Á.
Yang, X. F.
Jiang, W. G.
Novario, S. J.
Bai, S. W.
Billowes, J.
Binnersley, C. L.
Bissell, M. L.
Cocolios, T. E.
Cooper, B. S.
de Groote, R. P.
Ekström, A.
Flanagan, K. T.
Forssén, C.
Franchoo, S.
Ruiz, R. F. Garcia
Gustafsson, F. P.
Hagen, G.
Jansen, G. R.
Kanellakopoulos, A.
Kortelainen, M.
Nazarewicz, W.
Neyens, G.
Papenbrock, T.
Reinhard, P. -G.
Sahoo, B. K.
Ricketts, C. M.
Vernon, A. R.
Wilkins, S. G.
contents Nuclear charge radii are sensitive probes of different aspects of the nucleon-nucleon interaction and the bulk properties of nuclear matter; thus, they provide a stringent test and challenge for nuclear theory. The calcium region has been of particular interest, as experimental evidence has suggested a new magic number at $N = 32$ [1-3], while the unexpectedly large increases in the charge radii [4,5] open new questions about the evolution of nuclear size in neutron-rich systems. By combining the collinear resonance ionization spectroscopy method with $β$-decay detection, we were able to extend the charge radii measurement of potassium ($Z =19$) isotopes up to the exotic $^{52}$K ($t_{1/2}$ = 110 ms), produced in minute quantities. Our work provides the first charge radii measurement beyond $N = 32$ in the region, revealing no signature of the magic character at this neutron number. The results are interpreted with two state-of-the-art nuclear theories. For the first time, a long sequence of isotopes could be calculated with coupled-cluster calculations based on newly developed nuclear interactions. The strong increase in the charge radii beyond $N = 28$ is not well captured by these calculations, but is well reproduced by Fayans nuclear density functional theory, which, however, overestimates the odd-even staggering effect. These findings highlight our limited understanding on the nuclear size of neutron-rich systems, and expose pressing problems that are present in some of the best current models of nuclear theory.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2012_01864
institution arXiv
publishDate 2020
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Charge radii of exotic potassium isotopes challenge nuclear theory and the magic character of $N = 32$
Koszorús, Á.
Yang, X. F.
Jiang, W. G.
Novario, S. J.
Bai, S. W.
Billowes, J.
Binnersley, C. L.
Bissell, M. L.
Cocolios, T. E.
Cooper, B. S.
de Groote, R. P.
Ekström, A.
Flanagan, K. T.
Forssén, C.
Franchoo, S.
Ruiz, R. F. Garcia
Gustafsson, F. P.
Hagen, G.
Jansen, G. R.
Kanellakopoulos, A.
Kortelainen, M.
Nazarewicz, W.
Neyens, G.
Papenbrock, T.
Reinhard, P. -G.
Sahoo, B. K.
Ricketts, C. M.
Vernon, A. R.
Wilkins, S. G.
Nuclear Experiment
Nuclear Theory
Atomic Physics
Nuclear charge radii are sensitive probes of different aspects of the nucleon-nucleon interaction and the bulk properties of nuclear matter; thus, they provide a stringent test and challenge for nuclear theory. The calcium region has been of particular interest, as experimental evidence has suggested a new magic number at $N = 32$ [1-3], while the unexpectedly large increases in the charge radii [4,5] open new questions about the evolution of nuclear size in neutron-rich systems. By combining the collinear resonance ionization spectroscopy method with $β$-decay detection, we were able to extend the charge radii measurement of potassium ($Z =19$) isotopes up to the exotic $^{52}$K ($t_{1/2}$ = 110 ms), produced in minute quantities. Our work provides the first charge radii measurement beyond $N = 32$ in the region, revealing no signature of the magic character at this neutron number. The results are interpreted with two state-of-the-art nuclear theories. For the first time, a long sequence of isotopes could be calculated with coupled-cluster calculations based on newly developed nuclear interactions. The strong increase in the charge radii beyond $N = 28$ is not well captured by these calculations, but is well reproduced by Fayans nuclear density functional theory, which, however, overestimates the odd-even staggering effect. These findings highlight our limited understanding on the nuclear size of neutron-rich systems, and expose pressing problems that are present in some of the best current models of nuclear theory.
title Charge radii of exotic potassium isotopes challenge nuclear theory and the magic character of $N = 32$
topic Nuclear Experiment
Nuclear Theory
Atomic Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2012.01864