Restoration of the n=82 shell gap from direct mass measurements of 132,134Sn

Phys Rev Lett. 2008 Feb 22;100(7):072501. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.072501. Epub 2008 Feb 22.

Abstract

A high-precision direct Penning trap mass measurement has revealed a 0.5-MeV deviation of the binding energy of (134)Sn from the currently accepted value. The corrected mass assignment of this neutron-rich nuclide restores the neutron-shell gap at N=82, previously considered to be a case of "shell quenching." In fact, the new shell gap value for the short-lived (132)Sn is larger than that of the doubly magic (48)Ca which is stable. The N=82 shell gap has considerable impact on fission recycling during the r process. More generally, the new finding has important consequences for microscopic mean-field theories which systematically deviate from the measured binding energies of closed-shell nuclides.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't