Shell-model study of $^{28}$Si: coexistence of oblate, prolate and superdeformed shapes

Abstract

We study the shape coexistence in the nucleus $^{28}$Si with the nuclear shell model using numerical diagonalizations complemented with variational calculations based on the projected generator-coordinate method. The theoretical electric quadrupole moments and transitions as well as the collective wavefunctions indicate that the standard USDB interaction in the $sd$ shell describes well the ground-state oblate rotational band, but misses the experimental prolate band. Guided by the quasi-SU(3) model, we show that the prolate band can be reproduced in the $sd$ shell by reducing the energy of the $0d_{3/2}$ orbital. Alternatively, in the extended $sdpf$ configuration space a modification of the SDPF-NR interaction that accommodates cross-shell excitations also reproduces the oblate and prolate bands. Finally, we address the possibility of superdeformation in $^{28}$Si within the $sdpf$ space. Our results indicate that superdeformed structures appear at about $18$-$20$~MeV.