US, Surrey

Various Theoretical Evidences for Tetrahedral and Octahedral Symmetries in Atomic Nuclei

Nuclear deformation is a spectacular manifestation of the nuclear Jahn-Teller effect. Recently, nuclei with the tetrahedral and octahedral symmetries have been shown to exist throughout the nuclear chart. These structures are characterized by unique four-fold individual degeneracies and large shell effets (see the talk by J. Dudek). Various forms of realistic mean-field calculations have been performed which all support the existence of these exotic structures, and will be reviewed as well as briefly discussed.