A microscopic description of nuclear alpha decay

Abstract

Radioactive decay of nuclei via emission of ??-particles is studied using three different theoretical approaches, viz: the quasi-bound state wavefunction approach (QSWA), the superasymmetric ??ssion model (SAFM) and the semiclassical approximation (QCA). The half-lives of the radioactive nuclei, calculated using these methods, are compared with each other and with available experimental data. The resonance wavefunction is obtained by numerically integrating the Schrödinger equation with outgoing boundary conditions. The sensitivity of the calculated decay widths to two particular parameter sets of the Woods-Saxon (WS) optical potentials are studied. Double folding (DF) model calculations to obtain the bare ??-nucleus potential have been carried out with the Reid M3Y effective nucleon-nucleon (NN) interactions. The exchange part of the interaction was taken to be of zero-range pseudo-potential and the density dependence of the NN interaction is accounted for. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated using both even-even and odd-mass spherical nuclei.