Beta decay of potassium-54 reveals the role of two-body currents in neutron-rich nuclei
Auteurs : Zhengyu Xu, Robert Grzywacz, Matthias Heinz, Thomas Papenbrock, Weijia Ong, James Allmond, Bertis Rasco, Krzysztof Rykaczewski, Hendrik Schatz, Bradley Sherrill, Oleg Tarasov, Peter Gysbers, Gaute Hagen, Petr Navratil, Samuel Ajayi, Honey Arora, Akaa Daniel Ayangeakaa, Hannah Berg, Jessica Berkman, Darren Bleuel, Konstantinos Bosmpotinis, Nico Braukman, Michael Carpenter, Giordano Cerizza, Aaron Chester, James Christie, Ian Cox, Heather L. Crawford, Benjamin Crider, Jacob Davis, Amelia Doetsch, Jeremias Garcia-Duarte, Alfredo Estrade, Aleksandra Fijalkowska, Christoforos Frantzis, Kei Fukushima, Tawfik Gaballah, Tim Gray, Erin Good, Kenny Haak, Shutaro Hanai, Jason Harke, Caley Harris, Adam Hartley, Marc Hausmann, Kirby Hermansen, Daniel Hoff, Donnie Hoskins, James Huffman, Rahul Jain, Marek Karny, Thomas King, Noritaka Kitamura, Kay Kolos, Elaine Kwan, Sean Liddick, Brenden Longfellow, Rebeka Lubna, Stephanie Lyons, Miguel Madurga, Mejdi Mogannam, Shree Neupane, Timilehin Ogunbeku, Gerard Owens-Fryar, Jayden Palomino, Mauricio Portillo, Mustafa Rajabali, Andrea Richard, Isaiah Richardson, Eleanor Ronning, Gregory Rose, Thomas Ruland, Nicholas Scielzo, Dustin Scriven, Darek Seweryniak, Kevin Siegl, Mallory Smith, Artemis Spyrou, Michał Stepaniuk, Adriana Sweet, Vandana Tripathi, Artemis Tsantiri, Sivahami Uthayakumaar, William Walters, Shane Watters, Marzena Wolinska-Cichocka, Rin Yokoyama
Résumé scientifique
The beta decay of neutron-rich nuclei probes the microscopic nature of weak interactions in the nuclear medium under extreme conditions. Such weak decays drive the synthesis of heavy elements in astrophysical environments, but remain poorly understood. Far from stability, experimental data are scarce, placing strong demands on ab initio nuclear theory. Two-body weak currents have been proposed as the dominant mechanism responsible for the universal quenching of theoretically predicted Gamow-Teller decay strength. However, direct experimental validation in neutron-rich nuclei has been lacking. Here we measure the beta decay of 54K, a nucleus at the experimental frontier of radioactive ion-beam facilities. In this work, the doubly magic nature of the daughter nucleus 54Ca results in a remarkably simple decay pattern, dominated by a single transition to a neutron-unbound state at 6.2 MeV with a comparative partial half-life logft=4.4(1) or Gamow-Teller decay strength B(GT)=0.26 (+0.08) (-0.04). Our measurement is reproduced by new state-of-the-art calculations of the decay, providing direct evidence for the essential role of two-body currents in nuclear beta decay for systems with a significant neutron excess. We establish a key benchmark for theoretical predictions of weak processes in exotic nuclei.
Les articles autour de lui, par date et par proximité
Plus haut, c’est plus proche de cet article ; à gauche, c’est plus ancien. Les traits relient les articles proches entre eux : les groupes de traits sont des sous-thèmes. Sélectionnez un point pour voir pourquoi il est là. Retour au résumé de cet article
Les articles autour de celui-ci
Classés selon la proximité de leur titre et de leur résumé avec ceux de cet article. Sélectionnez-en pour les lire ensemble.
Les articles les plus proches
-
First observation of weak magnetism in neutron decayMiriam Camarasa-Domene, Martín González-Alonso, Martín Novoa-Brunet · 2026 · High Energy Physics - Phenomenology · Résumé IA disponible
« First observation of weak magnetism in neutron decay » mesure un autre effet des courants faibles dans la désintégration bêta, celle du neutron libre.
En bref
L’analyse combinée de données de désintégration établit le magnétisme faible du neutron à 5,1 sigma, avec un couplage compatible avec la prédiction du courant vectoriel conservé.
-
Correlating nuclear shapes and matrix elements of double-beta decayK. Nomura · 2026 · EPJ Web of Conferences · Pas encore résumé
« Correlating nuclear shapes and matrix elements of double-beta decay » relie la structure nucléaire aux éléments de matrice de désintégration double bêta, plutôt qu’à la force Gamow-Teller de 54K.
Résumé scientifique
A theoretical framework of calculating consistently the low-energy nuclear structure and neutrinoless double-beta (0 νββ ) decay nuclear matrix elements (NMEs) is developed in terms of the interacting boson model (IBM) that is based on the framework of the nuclear energy density functional (EDF). The IBM Hamiltonian describing general quadrupole collective states in even-even nuclei involved in proposed 0 νββ decays is completely determined by means of the self-consistent mean-field calculations with a given EDF. The predicted NMEs are compared with those obtained from other many-body methods and are, in particular, shown to be systematically smaller than the NME values from previous IBM cal…
-
Radiative corrections to double-$\beta$ decay and their impact on experimental analysesJordy de Vries, E. Mereghetti, S. el Morabit et al. · 2026 · Pas encore résumé
« Radiative corrections to double-beta decay and their impact on experimental analyses » calcule des corrections aux désintégrations double bêta, tandis que l’article étudie la force Gamow-Teller en désintégration bêta simple.
Résumé scientifique
We present a comprehensive study of the $\mathcal{O}(\alpha)$ radiative corrections to two-neutrino and neutrinoless double-$\beta$ decay within a heavy-nucleus effective field theory. We compute all virtual and real-emission corrections for intermediate nuclear states of arbitrary excitation energy, including new closed-form expressions for the required one-loop integrals with heavy-nucleus propagators. For excitation energies large compared with the lepton energies, the corrections factorize into the tree-level rate times a universal double-weak Sirlin function, which differs substantially from the sum of two single-$\beta$ Sirlin functions used so far in the literature. We discuss the imp…
-
Microscopic study of β-decay and stellar weak rates in neutron-rich scandium isotopesWajeeha Khalid, Jameel-un Nabi, M. Ramzan · 2026 · Turkish Journal of Physics · Pas encore résumé
« Microscopic study of β-decay and stellar weak rates in neutron-rich scandium isotopes » calcule les forces Gamow-Teller et les propriétés de désintégration bêta de noyaux riches en neutrons.
Résumé scientifique
This study provides a critical investigation of the β-decay characteristics of neutron-rich scandium isotopes (53-65Sc) using the proton-neutron quasiparticle random phase approximation (pn-QRPA) model. The theoretical framework allows for a microscopic understanding of spin-isospin excitation modes that are essential for examining weak interaction phenomena. Charge-changing Gamow-Teller (GT) strength distributions were calculated and found to agree well with existing experimental results, thereby confirming the model's capacity to accurately represent the nuclear configuration of these isotopes. The computed β-decay half-lives and corresponding log ft values exhibit good agreement with expe…
-
Nuclear matrix elements of double beta decay from beta decayJouni Suhonen · 2004 · Phys.Lett. B607 (2005) 87-95 · cité 43 fois · Résumé IA disponible
« Nuclear matrix elements of double beta decay from beta decay » utilise les données de désintégration bêta simple pour contraindre les éléments de matrice double bêta avec le modèle pnQRPA.
Résumé scientifique
The evaluation of the nuclear matrix elements (NME) of the two-neutrino double beta ($2νββ$) decay and neutrinoless double beta ($0νββ$) decay using the proton-neutron quasiparticle random-phase approximation (pnQRPA) is addressed. In particular, the extraction of a proper value of the proton-neutron particle-particle interaction parameter, $g_{\rm pp}$, of this theory is analyzed in detail. Evidence is shown, that it can be misleading to use the experimental half-life of the $2νββ$ decay to extract a value for $g_{\rm pp}$. Rather, arguments are given in favour of using the available data on single beta decay for this purpose.
-
Higher-order corrections to beta decays and nuclear structureG. Sargsyan, A. Glick-Magid · 2026 · Pas encore résumé
« Higher-order corrections to beta decays and nuclear structure » examine les effets de structure nucléaire sur les observables de désintégration bêta, sans se limiter aux noyaux riches en neutrons.
Résumé scientifique
Precision measurements of nuclear $\beta$ decay offer a powerful route to tests of physics beyond the Standard Model, but interpreting measurements spectra and correlation observables requires control of subtle nuclear-structure effects. This chapter develops a framework for calculating higher-order corrections--small contributions that can become important at the precision sought in searches for new interactions. After motivating their role in $\beta$-decay observables (with radiative corrections treated in the accompanying chapter), we introduce the relevant kinematics and multipole expansion of the shape factor, identify the subleading contributions, and present the impulse-approximation …
-
The regime of competing nuclear reactions in weak r-processShi-Lun Jin · 2026 · Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society · Pas encore résumé
« The regime of competing nuclear reactions in weak r-process » étudie les réactions qui gouvernent le r-process faible, un contexte astrophysique lié aux désintégrations de noyaux exotiques.
Résumé scientifique
Sensitivity study of nuclear properties, particularly given that most remain experimentally unmeasured, is critical for understanding nucleosynthesis processes. Because it both reveals the features of the elements evolution and provides the valuable guidance to experiment. In the weak rapid neutron capture process, the (α,n) reactions are predicted to play dominated roles while the neutron capture reactions are suppressed due to insufficient neutron exposure. A number of measurements on the cross sections of (α,n) reactions are performed with various techniques subsequently. Measurements employing short-lived beams are particularly significant for understanding the weak r-process, since the …
-
Unified shell-model study of collective motion in the rare-earth isotopesS. Pittel, S.-T. Guo, Y.-X. Yu et al. · 2026 · EPJ Web of Conferences · Pas encore résumé
« Unified shell-model study of collective motion in the rare-earth isotopes » applique le modèle en couches à la structure et aux formes de noyaux, plutôt qu’à leur désintégration bêta.
Résumé scientifique
We report shell-model calculations for the even-even nuclei of seven isotopic chains in the rare-earth region, using the angular-momentum-projected particle-number-conserved BCS approximation. The calculations accurately reproduce the properties of low-lying states across the entire region. The analysis reproduces the slow evolution to deformed shapes that emerges in most isotopic chains and the much more rapid transition, akin to a Quantum Phase Transition (QPT), that occurs in others. While the opening up of high-spin orbitals near the subshell closure at Z=64 with increasing neutron number plays a key role in the QPTs, an equally important role is played by coupling of single-particle orb…
Aller plus loin
Comment ces articles sont-ils trouvés ?
Nous comparons le titre et le résumé de cet article avec ceux de tous les articles résumés sur ce site, et avec les articles que Semantic Scholar recommande, ceux qu’il cite et ceux qui le citent (pour un article très cité, ses citations les plus récentes et, depuis OpenAlex, les plus citées). Parmi les travaux antérieurs et les suites, les articles qui s’utilisent en profondeur, une méthode qu’il utilise et les suites très citées remontent un peu. Les niveaux (très proche, proche, apparenté) viennent de la similarité des textes, pas d’un jugement de qualité ; * signale un article sans résumé, comparé par son titre. La phrase sous un article est écrite par une IA à partir des deux résumés : vérifiez-la dans les articles. Un article jugé hors sujet par trois lecteurs quitte la liste.
Mis à jour le 2 novembre 2026.