Systematics of Nuclear Deformations

Abstract

The microscopic-macroscopic method Nilsson and Strutinsky is used to calculate potential energy surfaces with the modified oscillator potential for both neutron deficient, beta-stable and neutron excess nuclei. These calculationsreiterate the previous suggestion that in the medium mass nuclei with A ∼ 70-140 moderate deformation results from the cooperative formation of a potential minimum from the anti-shell effect at zero deformation and the rising potential energy of the liquid drop at positive deformation. Regions of deformation suggested by these calculations are for example the neutron excess 38Sr and 40Zr, the neutron deficient 56Ba and rare earth nuclei, and a region of more transitional character, involving the neutron deficient nuclei with proton numbers Z ≃ 36-38. The experimental situations are briefly reviewed for these nuclear regions and the calculations used as a guide tosuggest additional experiments. Other regions of nuclear deformation are also discussed briefly.