Electromagnetic properties of indium isotopes illuminate the doubly magic character of 100Sn

Abstract

Understanding the nuclear properties in the vicinity of 100Sn, which has been suggested to be the heaviest doubly magic nucleus with proton number Z equal to neutron number N, has been a long-standing challenge for experimental and theoretical nuclear physics. In particular, contradictory experimental evidence exists regarding the role of nuclear collectivity in this region of the nuclear chart. Here, we provide further evidence for the doubly magic character of 100Sn by measuring the ground-state electromagnetic moments and nuclear charge radii of indium (Z = 49) isotopes as N approaches 50 from above using precision laser spectroscopy. Our results span almost the complete range between the two major closed neutron shells at N = 50 and N = 82 and reveal parabolic trends as a function of the neutron number, with a clear reduction towards these two closed neutron shells. A detailed comparison between our experimental results and numerical results from two complementary nuclear many-body frameworks (density functional theory and ab initio methods) exposes deficiencies in nuclear models and establishes a benchmark for future theoretical developments. Precision laser spectroscopy of ground-state electromagnetic moments and nuclear charge radii of indium shows that 100Sn has closed proton and neutron shells. The results serve as a benchmark for future theoretical models.