Shell Model And Nuclear Structure

This book provides the first graduate-level, self-contained introduction to recent developments that lead to the formulation of the configuration-interaction approach for open quantum systems, the Gamow shell model, which provides a unitary description of quantum many-body system in different regimes of binding, and enables the unification in the description of nuclear structure and reactions. The Gamow shell model extends and generalizes the phenomenologically successful nuclear shell model to the domain of weakly-bound near-threshold states and resonances, offering a systematic tool to understand and categorize data on nuclear spectra, moments, collective excitations, particle and electromagnetic decays, clustering, elastic and inelastic scattering cross sections, and radiative capture cross sections of interest to astrophysics. The approach is of interest beyond nuclear physics and based on general properties of quasi-stationary solutions of the Schrödinger equation – so-called Gamow states. For the benefit of graduate students and newcomers to the field, the quantum-mechanical fundamentals are introduced in some detail. The text also provides a historical overview of how the field has evolved from the early days of the nuclear shell model to recent experimental developments, in both nuclear physics and related fields, supporting the unified description. The text contains many worked examples and several numerical codes are introduced to allow the reader to test different aspects of the continuum shell model discussed in the book.

This book is aimed at enabling the reader to obtain a working knowledge of the nuclear shell model and to understand nuclear structure within the framework of the shell model. Attention is concentrated on a coherent, self-contained exposition of the main ideas behind the model with ample illustrations to give an idea beyond formal exposition of the concepts. Since this text grew out of a course taught for advanced undergraduate and first-year graduate students in theoretical nuclear physics, the accents are on a detailed exposition of the material with step-by-step derivations rather than on a superficial description of a large number of topics. In this sense, the book differs from a number of books on theoretical nuclear physics by narrowing the subject to only the nuclear shell model. Most of the expressions used in many of the existing books treating the nuclear shell model are derived here in more detail, in a practitioner's way. Due to frequent student requests I have expanded of detail in order to take away the typical phrase " . . . after some the level simple and straightforward algebra one finds . . . ". The material could probably be treated in a one-year course (implying going through the problem sets and setting up a number of numerical studies by using the provided computer codes). The book is essentially self-contained but requires an introductory course on quantum mechanics and nuclear physics on a more general level.

Medium heavy nuclei with mass number A=60-90 exhibit a variety of complex collective properties, provide a laboratory for double beta decay studies, and are a region of all heavy N=Z nuclei. This book discusses these three aspects of nuclear structure using Deformed Shell Model and the Spin-Isospin Invariant Interacting Boson Model naturally generated by fermionic SO(8) symmetry. Using these two models, the book describes properties of medium heavy nuclei with mass number A=60-90. It provides a good reference for future nuclear structure experiments using radioactive ion beam (RIB) facilities. Various results obtained by the authors and other research groups are also explained in this book.

A detailed review of the key models of nuclear structure and dynamics.

This textbook on nuclear structure takes a unique approach to the topic, explaining nuclear structure by building on a few elementary physical ideas. Intricate topics such as shell model residual interactions, the Nilsson model, and the RPA analysis of collective vibrations are explained in a simple, intuitive way so that predictions can usually be made without calculations, essentially by inspection. Frequent data comparison shows the relevance of theoretical approaches. New to this edition are chapters on exotic nuclei and radioactive beams,and correlations of collective observables. Completely new discussions are given on isopin, the shell model, nature of collective vibrations, multi- phonon states, superdeformation, bandmixing, the geometric collective model, the fermei gas model, basic properties of simple nuclear potentials, the deuteron, etc.

Stable nuclei -- Empirical evidence for the magic numbers -- Review of electronic structure of atoms -- Individual orbits in the nucleus -- Properties of nuclear ground states -- Discussion of the empirical data for odd-[A] nuclei -- Determination of parity and occupation numbers by the angular distribution of (d, p) and (d, n) reactions -- Quadruple moments and isotope shifts -- Decay, in particular for nuclei of odd [A] -- Light nuclei -- Nuclei of even [A] -- General facts about nuclear spectroscopy -- Isomerism in nuclei of odd [A].