Beta-decay half-lives of the extremely neutron-rich nuclei in the closed-shell N=50, 82, 126 groups

The beta (-)-decay half-lives of extremely neutron-rich nuclei are important for understanding nucleosynthesis in the rapid neutron capture process (r-process). However, most of their half-lives are unknown or very uncertain, leading to the need for reliable calculations. In this study, we updated the coefficients in recent semi-empirical formulae using the newly updated mass (AME2020) and half-life (NUBASE2020) databases to improve the accuracy of the half-life prediction. In particular, we developed a new empirical model for better calculations of the beta (-)-decay half-lives of isotopes ranging in Z = 10-80 and N = 15-130. We examined the beta (-)-decay half-lives of the extremely neutron-rich isotopes at and around the neutron magic numbers of N = 50, 82, and 126 using either five different semi-empirical models or finite-range droplet model and quasi-particle random phase approximation method. The beta (-)-decay rates derived from the estimated half-lives were used in calculations to evaluate the impact of the half-life uncertainties of the investigated nuclei on the abundance of the r-process. The results show that the half-lives mostly range in 0.001 < T (1/2) < 100 s for the nuclei with a ratio of N/Z < 1.9; however, they differ significantly for those with the ratio of N/Z > 1.9. The half-life differences among the models were found to range from a few factors (for N/Z < 1.9 nuclei) to four orders of magnitude (for N/Z > 1.9). These discrepancies lead to a large uncertainty, which is up to four orders of magnitude, in the r-process abundance of isotopes. We also found that the multiple-reflection time-of-flight technique is preferable for precise mass measurements because its measuring timescale applies to the half-lives of the investigated nuclei. Finally, the results of this study are useful for studies on the beta-decay of unstable isotopes and astrophysical simulations.

Automated summary

In this study, the beta (-)-decay half-lives of extremely neutron-rich nuclei were investigated using updated coefficients and a new empirical model. The results show significant differences in half-lives among different models, leading to large uncertainties in the abundance of isotopes in the r-process. The study also highlights the effectiveness of the multiple-reflection time-of-flight technique for precise mass measurements.