0000000000363149
AUTHOR
Andrzej Baran
Multidimensional Skyrme-density-functional Study of the Spontaneous Fission of 238U
We determined the spontaneous fission lifetime of 238U by a minimization of the action integral in a three-dimensional space of collective variables. Apart from the mass-distribution multipole moments Q20 (elongation) and Q30 (left–right asymmetry), we also considered the pairing- fluctuation parameter λ2 as a collective coordinate. The collective potential was obtained self-consistently using the Skyrme energy density functional SkM∗ . The inertia tensor was obtained within the nonperturbative cranking approximation to the adiabatic time-dependent Hartree–Fock– Bogoliubov approach. The pairing-fluctuation parameter λ2 allowed us to control the pairing gap along the fission path, which sign…
Quadrupole collective inertia in nuclear fission: Cranking approximation
Collective mass tensor derived from the cranking approximation to the adiabatic time-dependent Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (ATDHFB) approach is compared with that obtained in the Gaussian Overlap Approximation (GOA) to the generator coordinate method. Illustrative calculations are carried out for one-dimensional quadrupole fission pathways in 256Fm. It is shown that the collective mass exhibits strong variations with the quadrupole collective coordinate. These variations are related to the changes in the intrinsic shell structure. The differences between collective inertia obtained in cranking and perturbative cranking approximations to ATDHFB, and within GOA, are discussed.
Microscopic description of complex nuclear decay: multimodal fission
Our understanding of nuclear fission, a fundamental nuclear decay, is still incomplete due to the complexity of the process. In this paper, we describe a study of spontaneous fission using the symmetry-unrestricted nuclear density functional theory. Our results show that the observed bimodal fission can be explained in terms of pathways in multidimensional collective space corresponding to different geometries of fission products. We also predict a new phenomenon of trimodal spontaneous fission for some rutherfordium, seaborgium, and hassium isotopes.
Spontaneous fission lifetimes from the minimization of self-consistent collective action
The spontaneous fission lifetime of 264Fm has been studied within nuclear density functional theory by minimizing the collective action integral for fission in a two-dimensional quadrupole collective space representing elongation and triaxiality. The collective potential and inertia tensor are obtained self-consistently using the Skyrme energy density functional and density-dependent pairing interaction. The resulting spontaneous fission lifetimes are compared with the static result obtained with the minimum-energy pathway. We show that fission pathways strongly depend on assumptions underlying collective inertia. With the non-perturbative mass parameters, the dynamic fission pathway become…
Pairing-induced speedup of nuclear spontaneous fission
Collective inertia is strongly influenced at the level crossing at which quantum system changes diabatically its microscopic configuration. Pairing correlations tend to make the large-amplitude nuclear collective motion more adiabatic by reducing the effect of those configuration changes. Competition between pairing and level crossing is thus expected to have a profound impact on spontaneous fission lifetimes. To elucidate the role of nucleonic pairing on spontaneous fission, we study the dynamic fission trajectories of $^{264}$Fm and $^{240}$Pu using the state-of-the-art self-consistent framework. We employ the superfluid nuclear density functional theory with the Skyrme energy density fun…