Prof.
John F. Sharpey-Schafer
(University of the Western Cape)
J. F. Sharpey-Schafer
University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
Abstract
Recent developments in the experimental data on “collective” structures at low excitation energies have challenged the traditional paradigms of the essential physics involved in the underlying configurations. The importance of systematic experimental studies, that vary the deformations and asymmetries of the mean nuclear shape, is stressed. The limitations of collective descriptions of nuclear structure are discussed, especially the limitations of “phonon” and “boson” approximations to describe both low energy excitations of “spherical” and deformed nuclei. The importance of axial asymmetry in quadrupole deformation is stressed and the importance of octupole deformations, in some regions of the nuclear chart, is vital to understanding the detailed nuclear structure. We will discuss whether the collective excitations at low excitation energies can be described entirely in terms of the mean nuclear shape of non-spherical nuclei and where real “vibrations” of nuclei might occur.
Summary
J. F. Sharpey-Schafer
University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
Abstract
Recent developments in the experimental data on “collective” structures at low excitation energies have challenged the traditional paradigms of the essential physics involved in the underlying configurations. The importance of systematic experimental studies, that vary the deformations and asymmetries of the mean nuclear shape, is stressed. The limitations of collective descriptions of nuclear structure are discussed, especially the limitations of “phonon” and “boson” approximations to describe both low energy excitations of “spherical” and deformed nuclei. The importance of axial asymmetry in quadrupole deformation is stressed and the importance of octupole deformations, in some regions of the nuclear chart, is vital to understanding the detailed nuclear structure. We will discuss whether the collective excitations at low excitation energies can be described entirely in terms of the mean nuclear shape of non-spherical nuclei and where real “vibrations” of nuclei might occur.
