Speaker
Description
The structure of neutron-rich carbon isotopes continues to be a subject of interest in nuclear physics, particularly the nucleus $^{16}\text{C}$. One of the key unresolved issues is the variation in measured $B(E2)$ values for the transition from the first-excited $2_1^+$ state to the ground state, with reported values spanning nearly an order of magnitude. Traditional interpretations assume a simple model in which two valence neutrons couple to a $^{14}\text{C}$ core, requiring the introduction of a large effective charge to match experimental data. However, this approach does not fully capture the complexity of $^{16}\text{C}$’s nuclear structure.
This work presents results from a large-scale $(2 + 4)\hbar\omega$ no-core shell-model calculation of $^{16}\text{C}$, incorporating six major shells and employing the Zheng et al. interaction within the OXBASH framework. The analysis of the wave functions indicates significant mixing of higher-order configurations, challenging the validity of the simple two-neutron model. The theoretical predictions are further validated by comparing the computed excitation spectrum and intermediate-energy elastic proton scattering cross-sections with experimental data. Notably, the results demonstrate that a smaller, or even negligible, effective charge is sufficient to reproduce the accepted $B(E2)$ value, resolving discrepancies observed in previous studies.
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