No abstract

Static fission barriers for 95 even-even transuranium nuclei with charge number Z = 94 − 118 have been systematically investigated by means of pairing self-consistent Woods-Saxon-Strutinsky calculations using the potential energy surface approach in multidimensional (β2, γ, β4) deformation space. Taking the heavier 252 Cf nucleus (with the available fission barrier from experiment) as an example, the formation of the fission barrier and the influence of macroscopic, shell and pairing correction energies on it are analyzed. The results of the present calculated β2 values and barrier heights are compared with previous calculations and available experiments. The role of triaxiality in the region of the first saddle is discussed. It is found that the second fission barrier is also considerably affected by the triaxial deformation degree of freedom in some nuclei (e.g., the Z = 112−118 isotopes). Based on the potential energy curves, general trends of the evolution of the fission barrier heights and widths as a function of the nucleon numbers are investigated. In addition, the effects of Woods-Saxon potential parameter modifications (e.g., the strength of the spin-orbit coupling and the nuclear surface diffuseness) on the fission barrier are briefly discussed.

High-spin yrast structures of even-even superheavy nuclei 254−258 Rf are investigated by means of total-Routhian-surface approach in three-dimensional (β2, γ, β4) space. The behavior in the moments of inertia of 256 Rf is well reproduced by our calculations, which is attributed to the j 15/2 neutron rotation-alignment. The competition between rotationally aligned i 13/2 proton and j 15/2 neutron is discussed. High-spin predictions are also made for its neighboring isotopes 254,258 Rf.

A unified description of finite nuclei and equation of state of neutron stars presents both a major challenge and also opportunities for understanding nuclear interactions. Inspired by the Lee–Huang–Yang formula of hard-sphere gases, we develop effective nuclear interactions with an additional high-order density dependent term. While the original Skyrme force SLy4 is widely used in studies of neutron stars, there are not satisfactory global descriptions of finite nuclei. The refitted SLy4’ force can improve descriptions of finite nuclei but slightly reduces the radius of neutron star of 1.4M ⊙ with M ⊙ being the solar mass. We find that the extended SLy4 force with a higher-order density dependence can properly describe properties of both finite nuclei and GW170817 binary neutron stars, including the mass-radius relation and the tidal deformability. This demonstrates the essential role of high-order density dependence at ultrahigh densities. Our work provides a unified and predictive model for neutron stars, as well as new insights for the future development of effective interactions.

The first (namely, inner) fission barriers for even-A N = 152 nuclei have been studied systematically in the framework of macroscopic-microscopic model by means of potential energy surface (PES) calculations in the three-dimensional ( ) deformation space. Their collective properties, such as ground-state deformations, are compared with previous calculations and available observations, showing a consistent trend. In addition, it has been found that the microscopic shell correction energy plays an important role on surviving fission in these N = 152 deformed shell nuclei. The inclusion of non-axial symmetric degree of freedom γ will pull the fission barrier down more significantly with respect to the calculation involving in hexadecapole deformation β4. Furthermore, the calculated Woods-Saxon (WS) single particle levels indicate that the large microscopic shell correction energies due to low level densities may be responsible for such a reduction on the inner fission barrier.