The Pseudo-spin Symmetry in Zr and Sn Isotopes from the Proton Drip Line to the Neutron Drip Line

Based on the Relativistic continuum Hartree-Bogoliubov (RCHB) theory, the pseudo-spin approximation in exotic nuclei is investigated in Zr and Sn isotopes from the proton drip line to the neutron drip line. The quality of the pseudo-spin approximation is shown to be connected with the competition between the centrifugal barrier (CB) and the pseudo-spin orbital potential (PSOP). The PSOP depends on the derivative of the difference between the scalar and vector potentials dV /dr. If dV /dr = 0, the pseudo-spin symmetry is exact. The pseudo-spin symmetry is found to be a good approximation for normal nuclei and to become much better for exotic nuclei with highly diffuse potential, which have dV /dr ∼ 0. The energy splitting of the pseudo-spin partners is smaller for orbitals near the Fermi surface (even in the continuum) than the deeply bound orbitals. The lower components of the Dirac wave functions for the pseudo-spin partners are very similar and almost equal in 1 magnitude.