Recent calculations predict a possible existence of nuclei with tetrahedral symmetry: more precisely, the mean-field Hamiltonians of such nuclei are symmetric with respect to double point-group $T_d^D$. In this paper, we focus on the neutron-rich zirconium isotopes as an example and present realistic mean-field calculations which predict tetrahedral ground-state configurations in ${}^{108,110}\mathrm{Zr}$ and low-lying excited states of tetrahedral symmetry in a number of $N⩽66$ isotopes. The motivations for focusing on these nuclei together with a discussion of the possible experimental signatures of tetrahedral symmetry are also presented.

• Received 27 November 2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.69.061305