Oblate–prolate transition in odd-mass light mercury isotopes Original Research Article

Anomalous isotope shifts in the chain of light Hg isotopes are investigated by using the Hartree–Fock–Bogoliubov method with the Skyrme SIII, SkI3 and SLy4 forces. The sharp increase in the mean-square radius of the odd mass 181–185Hg isotopes is well explained in terms of the transition from an oblate to a prolate shape in the ground state of these isotopes. We discuss the polarization energy of time-odd mean-field terms in relation to the blocked level by the odd neutron.