Demonstration of the universality of molecular structures in prolate deformed nuclei

Abstract

Abstract The relationship between the deformed harmonic oscillator and the formation of molecular cluster structures, whereby valence neutrons are exchanged between cluster cores, is examined. It is found that there is a strong connection between the properties of the valence orbitals associated with deformed structures in the deformed harmonic oscillator and the molecular orbitals created by linear combinations of single-centre orbitals around nuclear clusters. The conclusion is that in addition to the appearance of clustering in the deformed harmonic oscillator that every prolate deformed cluster structure should have molecular orbitals built on that structure. This is demonstrated through a series of examples that range from 13C to 57Ni.