New Physical Insight into High-Spin Physics: Double Helix Level Scheme A nuclear structure data approach

Cyclotron Institute, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA

^* e-mail: nica@comp.tamu.edu

Published online: 8 October 2024

Abstract

To present a new nuclear structure data concept of a level scheme, we redesign the high-spin level scheme of ¹⁷¹Yb nucleus. We start with the description of the property of repeatability of the E_γ data based on which E_γ can be parametrized by the 2_c(2I + k − 1) formula with I the nuclear spin and k an integer band offset different from band to band. This describes a beam of parallel and equidistant lines whose 2c average slope and k numbers can be determined by a least-squares fit to the experimental bands, which characterize the average rotational behavior of the experimental bands. Based on repeatability the level scheme of ¹⁷¹Yb nucleus can be shaped as a discrete 3D double helix structure, with the experimental bands superimposed as decay paths. Double helix suggests that semiclassically nuclear rotation can be seen as a vortex motion.