Bohr Hamiltonian with a deformation-dependent mass term for the Davidson potential

Analytical expressions for spectra and wave functions are derived for a Bohr Hamiltonian, describing the collective motion of deformed nuclei, in which the mass is allowed to depend on the nuclear deformation. Solutions are obtained for separable potentials consisting of a Davidson potential in the beta variable, in the cases of gamma-unstable nuclei, axially symmetric prolate deformed nuclei, and triaxial nuclei, implementing the usual approximations in each case. The solution, called the deformation-dependent mass (DDM) Davidson model, is achieved by using techniques of supersymmetric quantum mechanics (SUSYQM), involving a deformed shape invariance condition. Spectra and B(E2) transition rates are compared to experimental data. The dependence of the mass on the deformation, dictated by SUSYQM for the potential used, reduces the rate of increase of the moment of inertia with deformation, removing a main drawback of the model.