<i>Ab initio</i> computations of strongly deformed nuclei near <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mmultiscripts><mml:mi>Zr</mml:mi><mml:mprescripts/><mml:none/><mml:mn>80</mml:mn></mml:mmultiscripts></mml:math>
B. S. Hu, Z. H. Sun, G. Hagen, T. Papenbrock
Abstract
Atomic nuclei near mass 80 with approximately equal numbers of protons and neutrons are known to be strongly deformed while different shapes coexist in the same nucleus. These phenomena have challenged nuclear models but are also an opportunity to test the advances in theoretical approaches. The authors perform $a\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}b$-$i\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}n\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}i\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}t\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}i\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}o$ coupled-cluster calculations for even-even nuclei near neutron-deficient ${}^{80}$Zr, including calculations of $B(E2)$ transitions, using chiral $N\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}N$ and $N\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}N\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}N$ forces. The results adequately describe shape coexistence even if they cannot unambiguously determine ground-state shapes. The calculations are a significant step forward in mass number for $a\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}b$-$i\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}n\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}i\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}t\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}i\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}o$ computations of deformed nuclei.