Axially symmetric quadrupole-octupole incorporating sextic potential

Abstract

We present an extended application of the analytic quadrupole octupole axially symmetric model, originally employed to study the octupole deformation and vibrations in light actinides using an infinite well potential (IW). In this work, we extend the model's applicability to a broader range of nuclei exhibiting octupole deformation by incorporating a sextic potential instead of the Davidson potential. Similarly to conventional models, such as AQOA-IW (for infinite square potential) and AQOA-D (for the Davidson potential), our proposed model is referred to as AQOA-S. By employing the sextic potential, phenomenologically represented as $v\left(\tilde{\beta }\right)=a_1{\tilde{\beta }}^2+a_2{\tilde{\beta }}^4+a_3{\tilde{\beta }}^6$, we can derive analytical expressions for the energy spectra and transition rates (B(E1), B(E2), B(E3)). The energy spectra of the model are essentially governed by two critical parameters: ${\varphi }_0$, indicating the balance between octupole and quadrupole strain, and α, a key factor in adjusting the shape and behavior of the spectra through the sextic potential. In terms of applications, the study encompasses five isotopes, namely ^222−226Ra and ^224,226Th. Significantly, our model demonstrates remarkable agreement with the corresponding experimental data, particularly for the recently determined B(EL) transition rates of ²²⁴Ra, surpassing the performance of the model that employs the Davidson potential. The stability of the octupole deformation in ²²⁴Ra adds particular significance to these findings.