Exact estimate of the alpha-decay rate and semiclassical approach in deformed nuclei

We compare the quantum mechanical procedures to estimate the total alpha-decay width from deformed nuclei in the laboratory and intrinsic systems of coordinates. Our analysis shows that the total half-life estimated in the intrinsic frame by neglecting the rotational motion of the core (adiabatic approach) is one order of magnitude smaller at beta(2) = 0.3 than the corresponding value in the spherical case. A similar calculation in the laboratory system of coordinates by considering the core motion (giving the correct theoretical estimate) predicts a reduction by only a factor of 2. The widely used "angular WKB" (Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin) semiclassical procedure provides decay widths which are comparable to the adiabatic approach. We propose a new and very simple semiclassical "angular momentum WKB" procedure to evaluate the decay width in deformed nuclei. It provides decay widths very close to the ones obtained by the exact laboratory coupling channels procedure.
QC 20151202