Study of the (α, 2α) reaction at 700 MeV

The results of a measurement of the cross section $\text{d}{}^3\text{σ/}\text{d}\text{Ω}{}_{\mathrm{\alpha 1}}\text{d}\text{Ω}{}_{\mathrm{\alpha 2}}\text{d}\text{E}$ for the (α, 2α) reaction on ⁶Li, ¹⁰B, C, O, Na, Al, Fe, Cu and Pb, are presented. Values for the effective cluster number n_0eff are deduced for these targets excluding lead, using the PWIA. It is observed that the PW1A value of n_eff is strongly dependent upon the theoretical shape assumed for the internal momentum distribution of the α-cluster. Using a S-state pole approximation for the momentum distribution leads to a value of the virtual decay amplitude g for A → α + (A ? 4) which is the same from ⁶Li to Fe.