Mapping the proton drip-line up to A=70

Abstract

Coulomb energy differences between mirror nuclei with $A \le 70$ are calculated within the framework of the nuclear shell model using an effective Coulomb plus isovector and isotensor interaction. Absolute binding energies for proton-rich nuclei are predicted by adding the calculated Coulomb shifts to experimentally measured binding energies for the neutron-rich mirror. The location of the proton drip-line is investigated, as well as candidates for the exotic decay mode known as di-proton emission. Taking into account the lifetimes of competing decay modes and limits imposed by experimental setups, it is concluded that the best candidates for the observation of correlated di-proton emission are $^{45}$Fe, $^{48}$Ni, and $^{63}$Se.