- Letter
Visualization of the pear shape and its quantum fluctuations in atomic nuclei
Phys. Rev. C 114, L031603 – Published 15 September, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/ptd7-hcwg
Abstract
Nuclear pear-shaped, or octupole, deformation enhances the sensitivity of nuclei to fundamental symmetry-violating effects, including CP violation, yet its quantitative characterization, particularly its quantum fluctuations, remains challenging. We establish a multiscale validation strategy that combines low-energy electromagnetic transitions with intermediate-energy nucleus-nucleus collisions to probe octupole deformation and its associated quantum shape fluctuations. Using a microscopic collective Hamiltonian based on density functional theory, we first reproduce the electric octupole transition strengths of , and , thereby validating the underlying nuclear-structure inputs. Within the isospin Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck transport model, we then verify the geometric response by correlating initial participant eccentricities with self-correlation-subtracted two-particle flow observables. The resulting triangular-flow observable scales with the mean-square octupole deformation . Crucially, the event-by-event fluctuation exhibits a robust linear correlation with the octupole quantum-shape fluctuation . This provides an experimentally accessible collision observable for probing quantum fluctuations associated with nuclear deformation.