engleski

Experimental evidences for molecular structures in light nuclei

For many years the term nuclear molecule has been synonymous with the resonances found in interactions of two 12C nuclei at low energies. Similar behavior has been observed in the 12C+16O and 16O+16O systems. Those phenomena may be deemed to be molecular in nature owing to the deformations associated with an underlying two-body cluster structures. Recently, the term nuclear molecule has been used for the class of nuclear systems which show a behavior closely linked to that of covalently bonded atomic molecules. Such structures owe their existence to the dominant alpha-alpha cluster structure of the 8Be and other A=4n conjugate nuclei, which produces a two-, three- or many-centre potential in which the valence neutrons move. Theoretical considerations within the Antisymmetrized Molecular Dynamics and Molecular Orbit method validate this molecular interpretation of some light nuclei. Here I will report on recent experimental work of the Catania - Zagreb and Charissa collaborations in the study of structures of Be and C isotopes. Kinematically complete measurements of the many-body 7Li+7Li and 7Li+9Be reactions have employed charged particle break-up reactions as a tool with which to probe the molecular/cluster states. The observation of decay to final states with large overlaps with the cluster structure indicates special structure of these states. Perspectives and directions for future work on the topic, with emphasis on neutron rich nuclei will be given.

light nuclei; cluster structure; nuclear molecules; 9Be; 10Be; 13C; 14C

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