Heart-shaped nuclei: Condensation of rotational-aligned octupole phonons

The strong octupole correlations in the mass region A approximate to 226 are interpreted as rotation-induced condensation of octupole phonons having their angular momentum aligned with the rotational axis. Discrete phonon energy and parity conservation generate oscillations of the energy difference between the lowest rotational bands with positive and negative parity. Anharmonicities tend to synchronize the rotation of the condensate and the quadrupole shape of the nucleus forming a rotating heart shape.