Nuclear Structure of Dripline Nuclei Elucidated through Precision Mass Measurements of <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mmultiscripts> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>Si</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mprescripts/> <mml:none/> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>23</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:mmultiscripts> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> , <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mmultiscripts> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">P</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mprescripts/> <mml:none/> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>26</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:mmultiscripts> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> , <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mmultiscripts> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">S</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mprescripts/> <mml:none/> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>27</mml:mn> <mml:mo>,</mml:mo> <mml:mn>28</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:mmultiscripts> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> , and <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mmultiscripts> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>Ar</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mprescripts/> <mml:none/> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>31</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:mmultiscripts> </mml:mrow> </mml:math>
Yang Yu, Y. M. Xing, Y. H. Zhang, M. Wang, Xiao-Hong Zhou, J. G. Li, H. H. Li, Qiong Yuan, Y. Niu, Yin Huang, Peng Geng, Jian-You Guo, J. W. Chen, J. C. Pei, F. R. Xu, Yu. A. Litvinov, K. Blaum, G. de Angelis, I. Tanihata, Takayuki Yamaguchi, X. H. Zhou, X. Xu, Z. Y. Chen, R. J. Chen, Heng‐Ning Deng, C.Y. Fu, Wenwei Ge, W. J. Huang, H. Y. Jiao, Yang Luo, H. F. Li, T. Liao, J. Y. Shi, M. Si, M. Z. Sun, P. Shuai, Tu Xiao-Lin, Q. Wang, X. Xu, Xin Yan, Youjin Yuan, M. Zhang
Abstract
Using the $\mathrm{B}\ensuremath{\rho}$-defined isochronous mass spectrometry technique, we report the first determination of the $^{23}\mathrm{Si}$, $^{26}\mathrm{P}$, $^{27}\mathrm{S}$, and $^{31}\mathrm{Ar}$ masses and improve the precision of the $^{28}\mathrm{S}$ mass by a factor of 11. Our measurements confirm that these isotopes are bound and fix the location of the proton dripline in P, S, and Ar. We find that the mirror energy differences of the mirror-nuclei pairs $^{26}\mathrm{P}\text{\ensuremath{-}}^{26}\mathrm{Na}$, $^{27}\mathrm{P}\text{\ensuremath{-}}^{27}\mathrm{Mg}$, $^{27}\mathrm{S}\text{\ensuremath{-}}^{27}\mathrm{Na}$, $^{28}\mathrm{S}\text{\ensuremath{-}}^{28}\mathrm{Mg}$, and $^{31}\mathrm{Ar}\text{\ensuremath{-}}^{31}\mathrm{Al}$ deviate significantly from the values predicted assuming mirror symmetry. In addition, we observe similar anomalies in the excited states, but not in the ground states, of the mirror-nuclei pairs $^{22}\mathrm{Al}\text{\ensuremath{-}}^{22}\mathrm{F}$ and $^{23}\mathrm{Al}\text{\ensuremath{-}}^{23}\mathrm{Ne}$. Using ab initio VS-IMSRG and mean field calculations, we show that such a mirror-symmetry breaking phenomenon can be explained by the extended charge distributions of weakly bound, proton-rich nuclei. When observed, this phenomenon serves as a unique signature that can be valuable for identifying proton-halo candidates.