Properties and significance of the surface dipole mode

A strong isoscalar dipole resonance is known to be excited in a variety of nuclei, including isospin symmetric ones, at approximately 6-7 MeV. A series of theoretical studies and accumulating experimental evidence support an interpretation of the above dipole resonance as an elementary surface vibration. Obviously, such a mode is potentially as interesting as any collective excitation for a variety of reasons. In addition, though, it is found to account for the observed isoscalar segment of pygmy dipole strength. As discussed here, this has important implications for pygmy-strength interpretations and searches for genuine neutron-skin oscillations.