Temperature induced shell effects in deformed nuclei - art. no. 017304

The thermal evolution of the shell-correction energy is investigated for de formed nuclei using Strutinsky prescription in a self-consistent relativist ic mean-field framework. For temperature independent single-particle states corresponding to either spherical or deformed nuclear shapes, the shell-co rrection energy Delta (sc) steadily washes out with temperature. However, f or states pertaining to the self-consistent thermally evolving shapes of de formed nuclei, the dual role played by the single-particle occupancies in d iluting the fluctuation affects from the single-particle spectra and in dri ving the system towards a smaller deformation is crucial in determining Del ta (sc) at moderate temperatures. In rare-earth nuclei, it is found that De lta (sc) builds up strongly around the shape transition temperature; for li ghter deformed nuclei like Zn-64 and Zn-66, this is relatively less promine nt.