[paper] Nuclear Charge Radii of 21-32Mg

Nuclear Charge Radii of 21-32Mg

D.T. Yordanov et al.

doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.042504

Charge radii of all magnesium isotopes in the sd shell have been measured, revealing evolution of the nuclear shape throughout two prominent regions of assumed deformation centered on 24Mg and 32Mg. A striking correspondence is found between the nuclear charge radius and the neutron shell structure. The importance of cluster configurations towards N=8 and collectivity near N=20 is discussed in the framework of the fermionic molecular dynamics model. These essential results have been made possible by the first application of laser-induced nuclear orientation for isotope shift measurements.