Nuclear-matter distributions of halo nuclei from elastic proton scattering in inverse kinematics

Proton-nucleus elastic scattering at intermediate energies, a well-established method for probing nuclear-matter density distributions of stable nuclei, was applied for the first time to exotic nuclei. This method is demonstrated to be an effective means for obtaining accurate and detailed information on the size and radial shape of halo nuclei. Absolute differential cross-sections for small-angle scattering were measured at energies near 700 MeV/u for the neutron-rich helium isotopes ⁶He and ⁸He, and more recently for the lithium isotopes ⁶Li, ⁸Li, ⁹Li and ¹¹Li, using He and Li beams provided by the fragment separator FRS at GSI Darmstadt. Experiments were performed in inverse kinematics using the hydrogen-filled ionization chamber IKAR which served simultaneously as target and recoil-proton detector. For deducing nuclear-matter distributions, differential cross-sections calculated with the aid of the Glauber multiple-scattering theory, using various parametrizations for the nucleon density distributions as input, were fitted to the experimental cross-sections. The results on nuclear-matter radii and matter distributions are presented, and the significance of the data for a halo structure is discussed. Nuclear-matter distributions obtained for ⁶He and ⁸He conform with the concept that both nuclei compose of α-particle like cores and significant neutron halos. The matter distribution in ¹¹Li exhibits, as expected from previous reaction cross-section studies with nuclear targets, the by far most extended halo component of all nuclei being investigated. In addition the present data allow a quantitative comparison of the structure of the He and Li isobares of either the mass number A = 6 or A = 8. The measured differential cross-sections have also been used for probing density distributions as predicted from various microscopic calculations. A few examples are presented. Received: 21 March 2002 / Accepted: 16 May 2002 / Published online: 31 October 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: p.egelhof@gsi.de     

Fragmentation channels of relativistic 7Be nuclei in peripheral interactions

At the JINR Nuclotron, ⁷Li nuclei are accelerated. The charge-exchange reaction involving these nuclei at an external target provides a secondary 1.23-A-GeV ⁷Be beam. This beam is used to irradiate emulsion chambers. The mean free path λ_inel(⁷Be) = 14.0 ± 0.8 cm for inelastic ⁷Be interactions in an emulsion coincides within the errors with those for ⁶Li and ⁷Li nuclei. More than 10% of the ⁷Be events are associated with the peripheral interactions in which the total charge of the relativistic fragments is equal to the charge of the ⁷Be nucleus and in which charged mesons are not produced. An unusual ratio of the helium isotopes is revealed in the composition of the doubly charged fragments of the ⁷Be nuclei: the number of the ³He fragments is twice as large as that of the ⁴He fragments. Each of 50% of peripheral interaction events includes two doubly charged fragments. The channels of the ⁷Be fragmentation into charged fragments are presented. In 50% of events, the ⁷Be fragmentation occurs only into charged fragments without the emission of neutrons. The ⁴He + ³He channel dominates, whereas each of the ⁴He + d + p and ⁶Li + p channels constitutes 10%. Two events without neutron emission are observed in the ³He + t + p and ³He + d + d three-body channels. The mean free path for the coherent dissociation of relativistic ⁷Be nuclei into ⁴He + ³He is equal to 7 ± 1 m. The main features of the fragmentation of relativistic ⁷Be nuclei in such peripheral interactions are explained by the ³He + ⁴He two-cluster structure of the ⁷Be nucleus.     

Transfer, sequential decay, and quasi-free reactions induced by 18-MeV 6He beam on 6Li, 7Li, and 12C

The ⁶He + ^6,7Li and ⁶He + ¹²C scattering and reactions have been studied using an 18-MeV ⁶He beam. Experimental results for the elastic scattering on all three targets are in fair agreement with optical model predictions, using the potentials found in the analysis of the ⁶Li scattering on the same targets and at close beam energies. Several two-body exit channels show clear signatures of a direct reaction mechanism allowing extraction of spectroscopic information. The measured angular distribution for the ⁶He + ⁶Li → α + ⁸Li reaction indicated close similarity between the α + 2n configuration in ⁶He and the α + d configuration in ⁶Li. The obtained results for α-particle pickup from both ⁶Li and ⁷Li give large values of α spectroscopic factors for some ¹⁰Be states, indicating their well-developed α + ⁶He cluster structure. The exotic two-proton pickup reaction (⁶He, ⁸Be) was studied, as well as two-neutron and triton transfer reactions. Quasi-free scattering of ⁶He on deuteron and α particle in ⁶Li was also observed. The sequential decay reactions ⁶He + ⁶Li → ⁶He + α + d, ⁶He + ⁶Li → 2α + t + n, ⁶He + ⁷Li → ⁶He + α + t, and ⁶He + ¹²C → ¹⁰Be + 2α were clearly seen, and α clustering of some states in ^6,7Li, ^8–10Be, and ¹⁴C was thus studied. Several new spectroscopic results obtained for some ¹⁰Be states support the existence of a molecule-like rotational band in ¹⁰Be with a very large moment of inertia. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Core-breakup reactions of the halo nuclei 11Be and 11Li: momentum distributions and shadow effects

The halo nuclei ¹¹Be and ¹¹Li have been studied in core-breakup reactions where the halo neutrons are expected to be released without a major distortion due to the reaction. The widths of the halo-neutron momentum distributions have been extracted in coincidence with He fragments, Γ = 32 ± 4 MeV/c, and Li fragments, Γ = 42 ± 4 MeV/c for ¹¹Be and with He fragments, Γ = 42 ± 6 MeV/c for ¹¹Li. The ¹¹Be breakup gives a very low neutron multiplicity of 0.38±0.09 which is a manifestation of the shadowing of the neutron in the core-breakup reaction. This value can be understood from a simple theoretical calculation, which also accounts for the observed transverse momentum widths at small angles.     

Mass Measurements in Nuclear Reactions

The present status of mass measurements from reactions producing nuclei at the driplines, including those unstable to nucleon or cluster emission, is discussed. The results of recent heavy ion and π-meson induced experiments on the study of the superheavy hydrogen isotopes (⁴H, ⁵H, ⁶H), helium (⁹He, ¹⁰He), lithium (¹⁰Li, ¹¹Li) and beryllium (¹³Be) are given. The possibilities of mass measurements in radioactive ion beam experiments are also considered. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The reactions 6, 7Li, 9Be, 10B(e,e′p) at 700 MeV and DWIA analysis

The proton spectral functions of ⁶Li, ⁷Li, ⁹Be and ¹⁰B obtained from the (e, e′p) reactions at 700 MeV are presented. The results were analyzed in the distorted-wave impulse approximation, using the shell-model single-particle wave functions consistent with the elastic electron scattering results. The observed Ip proton momentum distributions for the nuclei ⁶Li, ⁷Li and ⁹Be show significant disagreement with the shell-model momentum distributions. The occupation probabilities of the proton single-particle states are around 0.7, with a few exceptions.     

Search for superheavy hydrogen isotopes <Superscript>6</Superscript>H and <Superscript>7</Superscript>H in stopped π-absorption reactions

Experimental search for superheavy hydrogen isotopes ⁶H and ⁷H was performed in the stopped pion absorption on ⁹Be and ¹¹B nuclei. The structures in the missing-mass spectra were observed in the reaction channels ⁹Be(π^-, pd )X and ¹¹B(π^-, p⁴He)X . Four states of ⁶H were proposed. Evidences for ⁷H formation were obtained in the reaction channels ⁹Be(π^-, pp)X and ¹¹B(π^-, p³He)X .     

A three body approach to study the structural properties of 2-n halo nuclei and the search for Efimov states

The discovery of neutron rich isotopes of the lightest elements on the neutron drip line exhibiting a halo structure has opened up new vistas in research activities. The novel structural features associated with the halo phenomena have been the subject for extensive theoretical and experimental investigations in recent times. In this talk, I propose to present a broad overview of the recent developments in this field, bringing out the striking features which show that a large number oflight nuclei near the neutron drip line are characterized by a clear separation between a ‘normal’ core nucleus and a loosely bound low density veil of neutrons. Specifically, the two neutron halos offer a natural premises, from a theoretical standpoint, to employ three body techniques for studying their detailed structural properties. A considerable part of the talk will be devoted to report and highlight the results on a number of light halo nuclei such as ¹¹Li, ¹¹Be, ¹⁹B and ²²C on which we have been carrying out investigations employing a simple but realistic three body model. These three body systems which have been termed as ‘Borromean’ (i.e while three body systems are bound, the corresponding binary subsystems on the other hand are unbound) are characterized by large spacial extension and very low separation energy of the neutron. They are, therefore, ideally suited for exploring the possibility of the existence of Efimov states in two neutron halo nuclei. We have recently carried out the three body analyses to predict the possibility of the occurrence of such states on which experimental work at various laboratories is underway.     

Spatial periphery of lithium and beryllium isotopes

The spatial structure of the periphery of lithium and beryllium isotopes is studied by means of charge-exchange reactions and the (t, p) and (d, p) reactions on their nuclei. It is shown that the 0⁺ isobaric-analog state of ⁶Li at 3.56 MeV has a halo structure formed by a proton and a neutron, that there is virtually no manifestation of a neutron halo in the ground state of the ⁹Li nucleus, and that the ¹¹Li nucleus has a Borromean halo structure that two neutrons form with respect to the ⁹Li core and which manifests itself in cigar and dineutron configurations. The ¹⁰Be nucleus has a substantial two-neutron periphery in either configuration both in the ground and in the 2⁺ excited state at 3.37MeV.     

The 7Li(γ, N) and 7Li(e,N) reactions at intermediate photon energies

Cross sections for single-photonucleon emissions from ⁷Li have been measured for photon energies in the range 60–120 MeV by detecting the recoiling residual nuclei following excitation with bremsstrahlung radiation of end-point energies 140 and 155 MeV. Measurements of the ⁷Li(e, ⁶Li)e'p and ⁷Li(e, ⁶He)e'n cross sections were also made at the same electron energies. A significant difference between the ratio of electron- and bremsstrahlung-induced yields for proton and neutron emission is observed. The results are compared to a modified quasi-deuteron model and a simple direct-knockout model in which recoil terms are included.     

Neutron periphery in light nuclei

A spatial configuration of light nuclei that involves two excess neutrons (⁶He, ¹⁰Be, and ¹²B) is studied by analyzing cross sections for various reactions on these nuclei: ⁶He(α, α)⁶He, ⁹Be(d, p)¹⁰Be, and ¹⁰B(t, p)¹²B. Pole dineutron-transfer mechanisms (dineutron configuration of the neutron periphery) and second-order mechanisms involving sequential neutron transfer (cigar-like configuration of the neutron periphery) are taken into account in the calculations. It is shown that the neutron periphery is drastically different in the nuclei in question: in ⁶He, there is a halo receiving a contribution from both configurations; in ¹⁰Be, there is an only slightly noticeable halo featuring a contribution of practically one neutron from the cigar-like configuration; and, in ¹²B, there is a neutron skin.     

中子滴线附近核异常大半径的解释

基于中子滴线附近核结合能的数据分析,¹¹Li,¹⁴Be和¹⁷B等可看作是核芯-中子-中子组成的三体系统。假定核芯-中子和中子-中子间作用势为弱吸引指数势,不足以形成核芯-中子和中子-中子束缚态。本文的研究表明,核芯-中子-中子三体系统可形成弱束缚态。⁶He,¹¹Li,¹⁴Be和¹⁷Be核的异常大核半径正是由于外层中子的弱束缚所致。 关键词：     

One-nucleon spectroscopy of light nuclei

The capabilities and limitations of the conventional many-particle shell model and modern potential cluster models are discussed. New revaluated and more accurate calculations of one-nucleon spectroscopic characteristics of the light nuclei of 1p shell are presented. In many-particle shell model for nuclei with A = 7, 9, 11, 13, and 15 nucleon partial widths of highly excited states with the isotopic spin T = 3/2 were calculated both for “allowed” and “forbidden” transitions. One-nucleon spectroscopic factors were calculated in threebody multicluster models of ⁶Li{αnp}, ⁸Li{αtn}, and ⁹Be{ααn} nuclei. For isobar-analogue nuclei ⁷Li and ⁷Be, the spectroscopic proton S _p and neutron S _n factors for transitions to the ground and excited states of corresponding residue nuclei of the triplet ⁶Li-⁶He-⁶Be were calculated in the framework of binary potential αtand ατ models. Integral, differential and polarization characteristics of photonuclear processes ⁷Li(γ, n ₀)⁶Li, ⁶He(p, γ_{0 + 1})⁷Li, ⁷Li(γ, p ₀)⁶He, and ⁹Be(γ, p _{0 + 1})⁸Li were calculated in this approach.     

Angular correlations in peripheral fragmentation of halo nuclei

The angular correlation between momenta of ⁵He and its decay products has been calculated for the peripheral fragmentation of ⁶He using a two-step model in a sudden approximation: (1) One neutron knock-out leading to the unbound nucleus ⁵He. (2) Subsequent decay of ⁵He undisturbed by the target in an α-particle and a neutron. Angular correlations measured in a recent experiment dealing with the peripheral fragmentation of 240 MeV/u ⁶He on a carbon target can be well described by a dominant ⁵He 3/2^? ground state configuration plus a small admixture of ≈ 7% of the first excited 1/2^? state. The influence of an s-state admixture as well as a contribution of the momentum transfer to the correlation function are investigated. The results obtained for ⁶He are then used as a touch stone for a discussion of the methods to investigate peripheral fragmentation of other Borromean halo nuclei like ¹¹Li and ¹⁴Be. It is shown that the evidence on the possible existence of low-lying s-states in ¹⁰Li and ¹³Be can be derived from the corresponding angular correlations.     

Ternary fission yields of 241Pu(nth,f)

Ternary events in the thermal neutron induced fission of ²⁴¹Pu(n,f) were studied with the recoil separator LOHENGRIN at the high-flux reactor of the Institut Laue Langevin in Grenoble. Yields and energy distributions could be determined for most isotopes of the elements hydrogen to oxygen. Also several heavier nuclei up to ³⁰Mg could be observed. Yields were measured for 42 isotopes, for further 17 isotopes upper limits could be deduced. For the first time the halo nuclei ¹¹Li, ¹⁴Be and ¹⁹C were found in neutron induced fission with yields of some 10⁻¹⁰ per fission.     

Cluster models of light nuclei and the method of hyperspherical harmonics: Successes and challenges

Hyperspherical-harmonics method to investigate the lightest nuclei having three-cluster structure is discussed together with recent experiments. Properties of bound states and methods to explore three-body continuum are presented. The challenges created by large neutron excess and halo phenomena are highlighted. Astrophysical aspects of the ⁷Li + n → ⁸Li + γ reaction and the solar-boron-neutrinos problem are analyzed. Three-cluster structure of highly excited states in ⁸Be is shown to be responsible for extreme isospin mixing. Progress in studies of ⁶He- and ¹¹Li-induced inclusive and exclusive nuclear reactions is demonstrated, providing information on the nature of continuum structures of Borromean nuclei. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Charge-changing cross sections of the neutron-rich isotopes8,9,11Li

Total charge-changing cross sections have been measured for⁸Li on C and Pb targets, for⁹Li on C, Al, Cu, Sn and Pb targets, as well as for¹¹Li on C, Sn and Pb targets at about 80 MeV/nucleon. These data are compared to measured total reaction cross sections and Glauber-type calculations using Hartree-Fock density distributions. These comparisons allow to draw conclusions on the proton density distribution of the neutronrich lithium isotopes. The results show that even for the most exotic nucleus¹¹Li the proton distribution is only very weakly influenced by the long tail in the neutron density distribution already established in several experiments.     

Possibility of Studying Neutron–Neutron Correlations in Halo Nuclei

An experimental investigation of the reaction of core pickup from ⁶He and ¹¹Li two-neutronhalo nuclei is proposed. In such experiments, neutron–neutron correlations in a halo nucleus will be assessed on the basis of the energy of a neutron–neutron quasibound state. A detailed kinematical simulation of the reaction ⁶He + ²H → ⁶Li + (nn) →⁶ Li + n + n is performed. It is shown that the energy of the quasibound state in question can determined from the shape of the energy spectrum of neutrons originating from the breakup of this state. In the proposed exclusive experiment, a beam of ⁶He (¹¹Li) nuclei with an energy of about 5 to 10 MeV per nucleon interacts with a deuterated-polyethylene target. This will permit detecting charged particles (⁶Li and ¹¹Be) and a neutron. On the basis of determining the energy of the neutron–neutron quasibound state, it will become possible to estimate the effective attraction between the valence neutrons in the field of the third particle (core).     

Neutron halos in hypernuclei

Properties of single- Λ and double- Λ hypernuclei for even-N Ca isotopes ranging from the proton dripline to the neutron dripline are studied using the relativistic continuum Hartree-Bogoliubov theory with a zero-range pairing interaction. Compared with ordinary nuclei, the addition of one or two Λ-hyperons lowers the Fermi level. The predicted neutron dripline nuclei are, respectively, ⁷⁵ _ΛCa and ⁷⁶ _2ΛCa, as the additional attractive force provided by the Λ-N interaction shifts nuclei from outside to inside the dripline. Therefore, the last bound hypernuclei have two more neutrons than the corresponding ordinary nuclei. Based on the analysis of two-neutron separation energies, neutron single-particle energy levels, the contribution of continuum and nucleon density distribution, giant halo phenomena due to the pairing correlation, and the contribution from the continuum are suggested to exist in Ca hypernuclei similar to those that appear in ordinary Ca isotopes. Received: 21 October 2002 / Accepted: 11 January 2003 / Published online: 8 April 2003     

Proton magic even-even isotopes and giant halos of Ca isotopes with relativistic continuum Hartree-Bogoliubov theory

We study the proton magic O, Ca, Ni, Zr, Sn, and Pb isotope chains from the proton drip line to the neutron drip line with the relativistic continuum Hartree-Bogoliubov (RCHB) theory. Particulary, we study in detail the properties of even-even Ca isotopes due to the appearance of giant halos in neutron rich Ca nuclei near the neutron drip line. The RCHB theory is able to reproduce the experimental binding energiesE _b and two neutron separation energiesS _2n very well. The predicted neutron drip line nuclei are²⁸O,⁷²Ca,⁹⁸Ni,¹³⁶Zr,¹⁷⁶Sn, and²⁶⁶Pb. Halo and giant halo properties predicted in Ca isotopes withA>60 are investigated in detail through analysis of two neutron separation energies, nucleon density distributions, single particle energy levels, and the occupation probabilities of energy levels including continuum states. The spin-orbit splitting and the diffuseness of nuclear potential in these Ca isotopes, as well as the neighboring lighter isotopes in the drip line Ca region and find certain possibilities of giant halo nuclei in the Ne−Na−Mg drip line nuclei are also studied.