Abstract
Background: Shape phase transitions in finite quantal systems are very interesting phenomena of general physical interest. There is a very restricted number of the examples of nuclei demonstrating this phenomenon.
Purpose: Based on experimental excitation spectra, there is a second order phase transition in the alternating parity bands of some actinide nuclei.
Method: The mathematical techniques of supersymmetric quantum mechanics, two-center octupole wave functions ansatz, and the Landau theory of phase transitions are used to analyze the experimental data on alternating parity bands.
Results: The potential energy of the octupole collective motion is determined and analyzed for all observed values of the angular momentum of the alternating parity band states in Th, U, and Pu.
Conclusion: It is shown that as a function of increasing angular momentum there is a second order phase transition from the octupole-nondeformed to the octupole-deformed shape in the considered nuclei.
- Received 19 June 2012
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.86.024319
©2012 American Physical Society