Magic Numbers as Response-Closure Peaks in the ECSM Framework: A Regime-Aware Robustness Test Using AME2020 Nuclear Shell-Gap Data

Key Points

• This research examines the presence of nuclear magic numbers as closure peaks in binding-energy data.
• Analyzed AME2020 nuclear binding-energy data for magic numbers.
• Used two-neutron and two-proton separation-energy discontinuities to assess shell-gaps.
• Excluded lightest nuclei to focus on robust closure signals.
• Found significant magic-minus-non-magic shell-gap lifts across various data cleaning methods.
• Positive closure signals for neutrons and protons persisted after excluding lighter nuclei.
• Most of the standard magic-number sequence was identified through shell-gap ranking.