Alpha-clustering effects in heavy nuclei

The study of cluster structures in light nuclei is extending to the heavy nuclei in these years. As for the stable N = Z nuclei, from the lighter ⁸Be, ¹²C nuclei to the heavier ²⁰Ne and even the ⁴⁰Ca and ⁴⁴Ti medium nuclei, the α cluster structures have been well studied and confirmed. In heavy nuclei, due to the dominated mean field, the existence of α cluster structure is not clear as light nuclei but some clues were found for indicating the core+α cluster structure in some nuclei, in particular, the ²⁰⁸Pb+α structure in ²¹²Po. We review some recent progress about the theoretical and experimental explorations of the α-clustering effects in heavy nuclei. We also discuss the possible α cluster structure of heavy nuclei from the view of α decay.