- Letter
- Access by Xinjiang University
Visualization of the pear shape and its quantum fluctuations in atomic nuclei
Phys. Rev. C 114, L031603 – Published 15 September, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/ptd7-hcwg
Abstract
Nuclear pear-shaped, or octupole, deformation enhances the sensitivity of nuclei to fundamental symmetry-violating effects, including CP violation, yet its quantitative characterization, particularly its quantum fluctuations, remains challenging. We establish a multiscale validation strategy that combines low-energy electromagnetic transitions with intermediate-energy nucleus-nucleus collisions to probe octupole deformation and its associated quantum shape fluctuations. Using a microscopic collective Hamiltonian based on density functional theory, we first reproduce the electric octupole transition strengths of , and , thereby validating the underlying nuclear-structure inputs. Within the isospin Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck transport model, we then verify the geometric response by correlating initial participant eccentricities with self-correlation-subtracted two-particle flow observables. The resulting triangular-flow observable scales with the mean-square octupole deformation . Crucially, the event-by-event fluctuation exhibits a robust linear correlation with the octupole quantum-shape fluctuation . This provides an experimentally accessible collision observable for probing quantum fluctuations associated with nuclear deformation.
Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)
Article Text
References (39)
- P. A. Butler and W. Nazarewicz, Intrinsic reflection asymmetry in atomic nuclei, Rev. Mod. Phys. 68, 349 (1996).
- L. P. Gaffney, P. A. Butler, M. Scheck, A. B. Hayes, F. Wenander, et al., Studies of pear-shaped nuclei using accelerated radioactive beams, Nature (London) 497, 199 (2013).
- P. A. Butler, Octupole collectivity in nuclei, J. Phys. G: Nucl. Part. Phys. 43, 073002 (2016).
- R. Aaij, A. S. W. Abdelmotteleb, C. A. Beteta, F. Abudinén, T. Ackernley, A. A. Adefisoye, et al., Observation of charge–parity symmetry breaking in baryon decays, Nature (London) 643, 1223 (2025).
- The BESIII Collaboration, Probing CP symmetry and weak phases with entangled double-strange baryons, Nature (London) 606, 64 (2022).
- J. Engel, Nuclear Schiff moments and CP violation, Annu. Rev. Nucl. Part. Sci. 75, 129 (2025).
- F. Dalton, V. V. Flambaum, and A. J. Mansour, Enhanced Schiff and magnetic quadrupole moments in deformed nuclei and their connection to the search for axion dark matter, Phys. Rev. C 107, 035502 (2023).
- W. R. Phillips, I. Ahmad, H. Emling, R. Holzmann, R. V. F. Janssens, T. L. Khoo, and M. W. Drigert, Octupole deformation in neutron-rich barium isotopes, Phys. Rev. Lett. 57, 3257 (1986).
- C. Liu, S. Y. Wang, R. A. Bark, S. Q. Zhang, J. Meng, B. Qi, P. Jones, S. M. Wyngaardt, J. Zhao, C. Xu, S.-G. Zhou, S. Wang, D. P. Sun, L. Liu, Z. Q. Li, N. B. Zhang, H. Jia, X. Q. Li, H. Hua, Q. B. Chen, et al., Evidence for octupole correlations in multiple chiral doublet bands, Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 112501 (2016).
- S. Pascu, E. Yüksel, Abhishek, P. Stevenson, G. H. Bhat, R. N. Mao, K. Nomura, C. Costache, Z. P. Li, et al., Increasing octupole collectivity across the isotopic chain: B(E3) values in , Phys. Rev. Lett. 134, 092501 (2025).
- P. A. Butler, L. P. Gaffney, P. Spagnoletti, K. Abrahams, M. Bowry, J. Cederkäll, G. de Angelis, H. Dewitte, P. E. Garrett, A. Goldkuhle, et al., Evolution of octupole deformation in radium nuclei from Coulomb excitation of radioactive and beams, Phys. Rev. Lett. 124, 042503 (2020).
- G. Giacalone, J. Jia, and C. Zhang, Impact of nuclear deformation on relativistic heavy-ion collisions: Assessing consistency in nuclear physics across energy scales, Phys. Rev. Lett. 127, 242301 (2021).
- C. Zhang and J. Jia, Evidence of quadrupole and octupole deformations in and collisions at ultrarelativistic energies, Phys. Rev. Lett. 128, 022301 (2022).
- J. Jia, Shape of atomic nuclei in heavy ion collisions, Phys. Rev. C 105, 014905 (2022).
- J. Jia, S. Huang, and C. Zhang, Probing nuclear quadrupole deformation from correlation of elliptic flow and transverse momentum in heavy ion collisions, Phys. Rev. C 105, 014906 (2022).
- A. Dimri, S. Bhatta, and J. Jia, Impact of nuclear shape fluctuations in high-energy heavy ion collisions, Eur. Phys. J. A 59, 45 (2023).
- B. Bally, G. Giacalone, and M. Bender, The shape of gold, Eur. Phys. J. A 59, 58 (2023).
- W. Ryssens, G. Giacalone, B. Schenke, and C. Shen, Evidence of hexadecapole deformation in uranium-238 at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, Phys. Rev. Lett. 130, 212302 (2023).
- J. Jia, G. Giacalone, B. Bally, J. D. Brandenburg, U. Heinz, S. Huang, D. Lee, Y.-J. Lee, W. Li, C. Loizides, M. Luzum, G. Nijs, J. Noronha-Hostler, M. Ploskon, W. van der Schee, B. Schenke, C. Shen, V. Somà, A. Timmins, Z. Xu, et al., Imaging the initial condition of heavy-ion collisions and nuclear structure across the nuclide chart, Nucl. Sci. Tech. 35, 220 (2024).
- G. Giacalone, J. Jia, V. Somà, Y. Zhou, et al., Nuclear physics confronts relativistic collisions of isobars, arXiv:2507.01454.
- P. W. Zhao, Z. P. Li, J. M. Yao, and J. Meng, New parametrization for the nuclear covariant energy density functional with a point-coupling interaction, Phys. Rev. C 82, 054319 (2010).
- NNDC (National Nuclear Data Center), https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/nudat3/, accessed: March 7, 2024.
- M. Bender, P.-H. Heenen, and P.-G. Reinhard, Self-consistent mean-field models for nuclear structure, Rev. Mod. Phys. 75, 121 (2003).
- D. Vretenar, A. Afanasjev, G. Lalazissis, and P. Ring, Relativistic Hartree–Bogoliubov theory: Static and dynamic aspects of exotic nuclear structure, Phys. Rep. 409, 101 (2005).
- J. Meng, H. Toki, S. Zhou, S. Zhang, W. Long, and L. Geng, Relativistic continuum Hartree Bogoliubov theory for ground-state properties of exotic nuclei, Prog. Part. Nucl. Phys. 57, 470 (2006).
- J. Stone and P.-G. Reinhard, The Skyrme interaction in finite nuclei and nuclear matter, Prog. Part. Nucl. Phys. 58, 587 (2007).
- T. Nikšić, D. Vretenar, and P. Ring, Relativistic nuclear energy density functionals: Mean-field and beyond, Prog. Part. Nucl. Phys. 66, 519 (2011).
- S. Y. Xia, H. Tao, Y. Lu, Z. P. Li, T. Nikšić, and D. Vretenar, Spectroscopy of reflection-asymmetric nuclei with relativistic energy density functionals, Phys. Rev. C 96, 054303 (2017).
- G. Bertsch and S. D. Gupta, A guide to microscopic models for intermediate energy heavy ion collisions, Phys. Rep. 160, 189 (1988).
- J. Xu, Specific viscosity of neutron-rich nuclear matter from a relaxation time approach, Phys. Rev. C 84, 064603 (2011).
- Z.-X. Yang, N. Michel, X.-H. Fan, and W. Zuo, Initialization effects of nucleon profile on the yields in heavy-ion collisions at medium energies, J. Phys. G: Nucl. Part. Phys. 48, 105105 (2021).
- G.-C. Yong, Hollow nuclear matter, Phys. Rev. C 93, 014602 (2016).
- Z.-X. Yang, X.-H. Fan, G.-C. Yong, and W. Zuo, Effects of the initialization of nucleon momentum in heavy-ion collisions at medium energies, Phys. Rev. C 98, 014623 (2018).
- S.-J. Cheng, G.-C. Yong, and D.-H. Wen, Effects of the symmetry energy in the reaction at 300 MeV/nucleon, Phys. Rev. C 94, 064621 (2016).
- G.-C. Yong, Y. Gao, G.-F. Wei, Y.-F. Guo, and W. Zuo, Determination of the density region of the symmetry energy probed by the ratio, J. Phys. G: Nucl. Part. Phys. 46, 105105 (2019).
- Z.-X. Yang, X.-H. Fan, Z.-P. Li, and S. Nishimura, Cross-checking the geometric effects in heavy-ion collisions at 500 MeV/nucleon, Phys. Rev. C 112, 024606 (2025).
- STAR Collaboration, Imaging shapes of atomic nuclei in high-energy nuclear collisions, Nature (London) 635, 67 (2024).
- STAR Collaboration, Imaging nuclear shape through anisotropic and radial flow in high-energy heavy-ion collisions, Rep. Prog. Phys. 88, 108601 (2025).
- Z.-X. Yang, X.-H. Fan, Z.-P. Li, and S. Nishimura, Source data for “Visualization of the pear shape and its quantum fluctuations in atomic nuclei” [Dataset], Zenodo (2026), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22065770.