Systematics of nuclear deformations

The microscopic-macroscopic method Nilsson and Strutinsky is used to calculate potential energy surfaces with the modified oscillator potential for both neutron deficient, beta-stable and neutron excess nuclei. These calculationsreiterate the previous suggestion that in the medium mass nuclei with A ∼ 70-140 moderate deformation results from the cooperative formation of a potential minimum from the anti-shell effect at zero deformation and the rising potential energy of the liquid drop at positive deformation. Regions of deformation suggested by these calculations are for example the neutron excess ₃₈Sr and ₄₀Zr, the neutron deficient ₅₆Ba and rare earth nuclei, and a region of more transitional character, involving the neutron deficient nuclei with proton numbers Z ≃ 36-38. The experimental situations are briefly reviewed for these nuclear regions and the calculations used as a guide tosuggest additional experiments. Other regions of nuclear deformation are also discussed briefly.