Landscape of Two-Proton Radioactivity

E. Olsen, M. Pfützner, N. Birge, M. Brown, W. Nazarewicz, and A. Perhac

Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 222501 – Published 29 May 2013; Erratum Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 139903 (2013)

Abstract

Ground-state two-proton ( $2 p$ ) radioactivity is a decay mode found in isotopes of elements with even atomic numbers located beyond the two-proton drip line. So far, this exotic process has been experimentally observed in a few light- and medium-mass nuclides with $Z \leq 30$ . In this study, using state-of-the-art nuclear density functional theory, we globally analyze $2 p$ radioactivity and for the first time identify $2 p$ -decay candidates in elements heavier than strontium. We predict a few cases where the competition between $2 p$ emission and $α$ decay may be observed. In nuclei above lead, the $α$ -decay mode is found to be dominating and no measurable candidates for the $2 p$ radioactivity are expected.

Received 4 March 2013

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.222501

Erratum

Erratum: Landscape of Two-Proton Radioactivity [Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 222501 (2013)]

E. Olsen, M. Pfützner, N. Birge, M. Brown, W. Nazarewicz, and A. Perhac

Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 139903 (2013)

Authors & Affiliations

E. Olsen^1,2, M. Pfützner^3,4, N. Birge^1,2, M. Brown^1,5, W. Nazarewicz^1,2,3, and A. Perhac^1,2

¹Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA
²Physics Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA
³Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, ul. Hoża 69, 00-681 Warsaw, Poland
⁴CERN, Physics Department, 1211 Geneva 23, Switzerland
⁵Physics Department, Berea College, Berea, Kentucky 40404, USA