Microscopic description of the self-conjugate $^{108}$Xe and $^{104}$Te $\alpha$-decay chain
Résumé
A microscopic calculation of half-lives for the recently observed Xe108→Te104→Sn100α-decay chain is performed by using a self-consistent framework based on energy density functionals. The relativistic density functional DD-PC1 and a separable pairing interaction of finite range are used to compute axially symmetric deformation-energy surfaces of Te104 and Xe108 as functions of quadrupole, octupole, and hexadecupole collective coordinates. Dynamic least-action paths are determined that trace the α-particle emission from the equilibrium deformation to the point of scission. The calculated half-lives, 197 ns for Te104 and 50μs for Xe108, are compared with recent experimental values of the half-lives of superallowed α decay of Te104: <18 ns, and Xe108: 58−23+106μs.