4.8 Article

Precision mass measurement of lightweight self-conjugate nucleus 80Zr

Journal

NATURE PHYSICS
Volume 17, Issue 12, Pages 1408-+

Publisher

NATURE PORTFOLIO
DOI: 10.1038/s41567-021-01395-w

Keywords

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Funding

  1. Michigan State University
  2. US National Science Foundation [PHY-1565546, PHY-1913554, PHY-1430152]
  3. US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Nuclear Physics [DE-SC0013365, DE-SC0018083]
  4. National Science Foundation CSSI programme [2004601]
  5. Direct For Computer & Info Scie & Enginr
  6. Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (OAC) [2004601] Funding Source: National Science Foundation

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This study provides evidence of a deformed double-shell closure in Zr-80 through high-precision mass measurements, showing that it is more strongly bound than previously thought. The findings suggest that there are still challenges in the field of nuclear physics, which require a combination of new observations and theoretical advancements for resolution.
Protons and neutrons in the atomic nucleus move in shells analogous to the electronic shell structures of atoms. The nuclear shell structure varies as a result of changes in the nuclear mean field with the number of neutrons N and protons Z, and these variations can be probed by measuring the mass differences between nuclei. The N = Z = 40 self-conjugate nucleus Zr-80 is of particular interest, as its proton and neutron shell structures are expected to be very similar, and its ground state is highly deformed. Here we provide evidence for the existence of a deformed double-shell closure in Zr-80 through high-precision Penning trap mass measurements of Zr80-83. Our mass values show that Zr-80 is substantially lighter, and thus more strongly bound than predicted. This can be attributed to the deformed shell closure at N = Z = 40 and the large Wigner energy. A statistical Bayesian-model mixing analysis employing several global nuclear mass models demonstrates difficulties with reproducing the observed mass anomaly using current theory. High-precision mass measurements of exotic zirconium nuclei are reported, and reveal a double-shell closure for the deformed nucleus Zr-80, which is more strongly bound than previously thought.

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