Contributor info: Dr Robin Smith

Robin Smith, Jack Bishop, Joel Hirst, Tzany Kokalova, Carl Wheldon

SciPost Phys. Proc. 3, 030 (2020) · published 26 February 2020 | Toggle abstract · pdf

The 12C Hoyle state is a candidate for α-condensation, due to its large volume and α-cluster structure. This paper discusses precision break-up measurements and how they can elucidate α-condensate structures. Two experiments are discussed in detail, firstly concerning the break-up of 12C and then the decays of heavier nuclei. With more theoretical input, and increasingly complex detector setups, precision break-up measurements can, in principle, provide insight into the structures of states in α-conjugate nuclei. At present, such searches have not delivered evidence for α-condensation in 12C or 16O.

S. Pirrie, C. Wheldon, Tz. Kokalova, J. Bishop, R. Hertenberger, H.-F. Wirth, S.~Bailey, N. Curtis, D. Dell'Aquila, Th. Faestermann, D. Mengoni, R. Smith, D.Torresi, A. Turner

SciPost Phys. Proc. 3, 009 (2020) · published 24 February 2020 | Toggle abstract · pdf

The determination of absolute branching ratios for high-energy states in light nuclei is an important and useful tool for probing the underlying nuclear structure of individual resonances: for example, in establishing the tendency of an excited state towards $\alpha$-cluster structure. Difficulty arises in measuring these branching ratios due to similarities in available decay channels, such as ($^{18}$O,$n$) and ($^{18}$O,$2n$), as well as differences in geometric efficiencies due to population of bound excited levels in daughter nuclei. Methods are presented using Monte Carlo techniques to overcome these issues.