First observation of 28O
Journal article, 2023
Subjecting a physical system to extreme conditions is one of the means often used to obtain a better understanding and deeper insight into its organization and structure. In the case of the atomic nucleus, one such approach is to investigate isotopes that have very different neutron-to-proton (N/Z) ratios than in stable nuclei. Light, neutron-rich isotopes exhibit the most asymmetric N/Z ratios and those lying beyond the limits of binding, which undergo spontaneous neutron emission and exist only as very short-lived resonances (about 10−21s), provide the most stringent tests of modern nuclear-structure theories. Here we report on the first observation of 28O and 27O through their decay into 24O and four and three neutrons, respectively. The 28O nucleus is of particular interest as, with the Z = 8 and N = 20 magic numbers1,2, it is expected in the standard shell-model picture of nuclear structure to be one of a relatively small number of so-called ‘doubly magic’ nuclei. Both 27O and 28O were found to exist as narrow, low-lying resonances and their decay energies are compared here to the results of sophisticated theoretical modelling, including a large-scale shell-model calculation and a newly developed statistical approach. In both cases, the underlying nuclear interactions were derived from effective field theories of quantum chromodynamics. Finally, it is shown that the cross-section for the production of 28O from a 29F beam is consistent with it not exhibiting a closed N = 20 shell structure.
Author
Y. Kondo
RIKEN
Tokyo Institute of Technology
N. L. Achouri
Normandie University
H. A. Falou
Lebanese-French University of Technology and Applied Sciences
Lebanese University
L. Atar
Technische Universität Darmstadt
T. Aumann
Technische Universität Darmstadt
Helmholtz
Helmholtz Research Academy Hesse for FAIR (HFHF)
H. Baba
RIKEN
K. Boretzky
Helmholtz
C. Caesar
Technische Universität Darmstadt
Helmholtz
D. Calvet
University Paris-Saclay
H. Chae
Institute for Basic Science
N. Chiga
RIKEN
A. Corsi
University Paris-Saclay
F. Delaunay
Normandie University
A. Delbart
University Paris-Saclay
Q. Deshayes
Normandie University
Zs Dombrádi
Hungarian Academy of Sciences
C. A. Douma
University of Groningen
Andreas Ekström
Chalmers, Physics, Subatomic, High Energy and Plasma Physics
Z. Elekes
Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Christian Forssén
Chalmers, Physics, Subatomic, High Energy and Plasma Physics
I. Gasparic
Ruder Boskovic Institute
RIKEN
Technische Universität Darmstadt
J. M. Gheller
University Paris-Saclay
J. Gibelin
Normandie University
A. Gillibert
University Paris-Saclay
G. Hagen
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
University of Tennessee
M. N. Harakeh
Helmholtz
University of Groningen
A. Hirayama
Tokyo Institute of Technology
C. R. Hoffman
Argonne National Laboratory
M. Holl
Helmholtz
Technische Universität Darmstadt
A. Horvat
Helmholtz
Horváth
Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE)
J. W. Hwang
Institute for Basic Science
Seoul National University
T. Isobe
RIKEN
Weiguang Jiang
Chalmers, Physics, Subatomic, High Energy and Plasma Physics
J. Kahlbow
RIKEN
Technische Universität Darmstadt
N. Kalantar-Nayestanaki
University of Groningen
S. Kawase
Kyushu University
S. Kim
Institute for Basic Science
Seoul National University
K. Kisamori
RIKEN
T. Kobayashi
Tohoku University
D. Körper
Helmholtz
S. Koyama
University of Tokyo
I. Kuti
Hungarian Academy of Sciences
V. Lapoux
University Paris-Saclay
Simon Lindberg
Chalmers, Physics, Subatomic and Plasma Physics
F. M. Marqués
Normandie University
S. Masuoka
University of Tokyo
J. Mayer
University of Cologne
K. Miki
Tohoku University
T. Murakami
Kyoto University
M. A. Najafi
University of Groningen
T. Nakamura
RIKEN
Tokyo Institute of Technology
K. Nakano
Kyushu University
N. Nakatsuka
Kyoto University
Thomas Nilsson
Chalmers, Physics
A. Obertelli
University Paris-Saclay
K. Ogata
Osaka University
Kyushu University
Osaka Metropolitan University
F. De Oliveira-Santos
Grand Accélérateur National d'Ions Lourds (GANIL)
N. A. Orr
Normandie University
H. Otsu
RIKEN
T. Otsuka
RIKEN
University of Tokyo
T. Ozaki
Tokyo Institute of Technology
V. Panin
RIKEN
T. Papenbrock
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
University of Tennessee
S. Paschalis
Technische Universität Darmstadt
A. Revel
Grand Accélérateur National d'Ions Lourds (GANIL)
Normandie University
D. Rossi
Technische Universität Darmstadt
A. T. Saito
Tokyo Institute of Technology
T. Y. Saito
University of Tokyo
M. Sasano
RIKEN
H. Sato
RIKEN
Y. Satou
Seoul National University
H. Scheit
Technische Universität Darmstadt
F. Schindler
Technische Universität Darmstadt
P. Schrock
University of Tokyo
M. Shikata
Tokyo Institute of Technology
N. Shimizu
University of Tsukuba
Y. Shimizu
RIKEN
H. Simon
Helmholtz
D. Sohler
Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Olivier Sorlin
Grand Accélérateur National d'Ions Lourds (GANIL)
L. Stuhl
Institute for Basic Science
RIKEN
Z. H. Sun
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
University of Tennessee
S. Takeuchi
Tokyo Institute of Technology
M. Tanaka
Osaka University
M. Thoennessen
Michigan State University
Hans Törnqvist
Helmholtz
Technische Universität Darmstadt
Y. Togano
Rikkyo University
Tokyo Institute of Technology
T. Tomai
Tokyo Institute of Technology
J. Tscheuschner
Technische Universität Darmstadt
J. Tsubota
Tokyo Institute of Technology
N. Tsunoda
University of Tokyo
T. Uesaka
RIKEN
Y. Utsuno
Japan Atomic Energy Agency
I. Vernon
Durham University
H. Wang
RIKEN
Z. Yang
RIKEN
M. Yasuda
Tokyo Institute of Technology
K. Yoneda
RIKEN
S. Yoshida
Utsunomiya University
Nature
0028-0836 (ISSN) 1476-4687 (eISSN)
Vol. 620 7976 965-970Strong interactions for precision nuclear physics (PrecisionNuclei)
European Commission (EC) (EC/H2020/758027), 2018-02-01 -- 2023-01-31.
The strong nuclear interaction: governing the quantum properties of nuclei and the neutron-star equation of state
Swedish Research Council (VR) (2020-05127), 2021-01-01 -- 2022-12-31.
Experimental studies of exotic, light nuclear systems - combining front-line physics and FAIR preparations
Swedish Research Council (VR) (2011-5324), 2012-01-01 -- 2014-12-31.
Exotiska nukleära system vid gränsen för existens - fysik i frontlinjen med perspektiv mot FAIR
Swedish Research Council (VR) (2017-03839), 2018-01-01 -- 2021-12-31.
Weak and rare nuclear processes: nuclear probes of fundamental symmetries and dark matter
Swedish Research Council (VR) (2017-04234), 2018-01-01 -- 2021-12-31.
Subject Categories
Subatomic Physics
Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology
DOI
10.1038/s41586-023-06352-6
PubMed
37648757