Global analysis of the non-uniformity of nucleon density distributions

Abstract

Background: Saturation of nuclear density is a fundamental property of atomic nuclei but in reality, the nuclear internal density distribution is not uniform, e.g., some nuclei are known to have the so-called bubble structure, in which the central density is depressed. Purpose: We aim to unveil the emergent mechanism of the non-uniformity of the nucleon density distributions for whole nuclear mass regions, not only for a typical bubble structure. Method: We systematically investigate the nucleon density distributions using the Skyrme Hartree-Fock plus Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer calculation represented in the three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate space. The ground states of 1,389 even-even nuclei are generated. To quantify the nonuniformity of these density distributions, a ``generalized bubble parameter" is introduced. Results: We find that the bubble structure appears around the magic numbers, which correspond to the regions where the s orbit appears near the Fermi surface. The nuclear deformation and pairing correlations strongly affect the occupation probability, but the robust bubble structure of a medium mass nucleus, $^{100}$Sn, is found. We confirm that the Coulomb force enhances the bubble degree in the superheavy region. The nuclear non-uniformity is further generalized by the ``multi-layered" bubble structure, which exhibits some density depression in the internal regions of the density distributions. Conclusion: The non-uniformity of the internal density distribution occurs due to the deficiency of the specific single-particle orbits: the nodal $s$, $p$, and $d$ orbits. This is certainly reflected in the density distribution near the nuclear surface, which can be deduced from proton-elastic scattering.