Probing surface quantum flows in deformed pygmy dipole modes

Abstract

To explore the nature of collective modes in weakly bound nuclei, we have investigated deformation effects and surface flow patterns of isovector dipole modes in a shape-coexisting nucleus, 40Mg. The calculations were done in a fully self-consistent continuum finite-amplitude quasiparticle random phase approximation in a large deformed spatial mesh. An unexpected result of pygmy and giant dipole modes having disproportionate deformation splittings in strength functions was obtained. Furthermore, the transition current densities demonstrate that the long-sought core-halo oscillation in pygmy resonances is collective and compressional, corresponding to the lowest excitation energy and the simplest quantum flow topology. Our calculations show that surface flow patterns become more complicated as excitation energies increase.