Superdeformed and Triaxial States in ^{42}Ca

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Physics
• Atomic Physics
• Quantum Mechanics

Background:

• Understanding nuclear structure is crucial in atomic physics.
• Coexisting structures in atomic nuclei provide insights into nuclear forces.
• Superdeformation and triaxiality are key nuclear shape parameters.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine shape parameters of nuclear bands in Calcium-42.
• To investigate coexisting structures using experimental and theoretical approaches.
• To demonstrate the potential of Coulomb excitation for studying superdeformation.

Main Methods:

• Low-energy Coulomb excitation experiment with the AGATA detector.
• Measurement of E2 matrix elements.
• Large-scale shell model and beyond-mean-field calculations.

Main Results:

• Shape parameters of weakly deformed and highly deformed bands in Calcium-42 were determined.
• Experimental evidence for superdeformation in the band built on 0_{2}^{+} was obtained.
• Coexisting structures were well reproduced by theoretical calculations.

Conclusions:

• The study provides a comprehensive understanding of nuclear shapes in Calcium-42.
• Coulomb excitation is a powerful tool for studying nuclear superdeformation.
• Triaxiality plays a significant role in the A∼40 mass region.