No Arabic abstract
Direct evidence of the $alpha$-cluster manifestation in bound states has not been obtained yet, although a number of experimental studies were carried out to extract the information of the clustering. In particular in conventional analyses of $alpha$-transfer reactions, there exist a few significant problems on reaction models, which are insufficient to qualitatively discuss the cluster structure. We aim to verify the development of the $alpha$-cluster structure from observables. As the first application, we plan to extract the spatial information of the cluster structure of the $^{20}$Ne nucleus in its ground state through the cross section of the $alpha$-transfer reaction $^{16}$O($^6$Li,~$d$)$^{20}$Ne. For the analysis of the transfer reaction, we work with the coupled-channel Born approximation (CCBA) approach, in which the breakup effect of $^6$Li is explicitly taken into account by means of the continuum-discretized coupled-channel method based on the three-body $alpha + d + {}^{16}$O model. The two methods are adopted to calculate the overlap function between $^{20}$Ne and $alpha + {}^{16}$O; one is the microscopic cluster model (MCM) with the generator coordinate method, and the other is the phenomenological two-body potential model (PM). We show that the CCBA calculation with the MCM wave function gives a significant improvement of the theoretical result on the angular distribution of the transfer cross section, which is consistent with the experimental data. Employing the PM, it is discussed which region of the cluster wave function is probed on the transfer cross section. It is found that the surface region of the cluster wave function is sensitive to the cross section. The present work is situated as the first step in obtaining important information to systematically investigate the cluster structure.
The proton-induced $alpha$ knockout reaction has been utilized for decades to investigate the $alpha$ cluster states of nuclei, of the ground state in particular. However, even in recent years, it is reported that the deduced $alpha$ spectroscopic factors from $alpha$ knockout experiments and reaction analyses with a phenomenological $alpha$ cluster wave function diverge depending on the kinematical condition of the reaction. In the present study we examine the theoretical description of the $^{20}$Ne($p$,$palpha$)$^{16}$O cross section based on the antisymmetrized molecular dynamics and the distorted wave impulse approximation by comparing with existing experimental data. We also investigate the correspondence between the $alpha$ cluster wave function and the $alpha$ knockout cross section. The existing $^{20}$Ne($p$,$palpha$)$^{16}$O data at 101.5 MeV is well reproduced by the present framework. Due to the peripherality of the reaction, the surface region of the cluster wave function is selectively reflected to the knockout cross section. A quantitatively reliable $alpha$ cluster wave function, $p$-$alpha$ cross section, and distorting potentials between scattering particles, $alpha$-$^{16}$O in particular, are crucial for the quantitative description of the ($p$,$palpha$) cross section. Due to the peripherality of the reaction, the ($p$,$palpha$) cross section is a good probe for the surface $alpha$ amplitude.
We introduce a new framework for studying clustering and for calculating alpha partial widths using ab initio wave functions. We demonstrate the formalism for $^{20}$Ne, by calculating the overlap between the $^{16}$O$+alpha$ cluster configuration and states in $^{20}$Ne computed in the ab initio symmetry-adapted no-core shell model. We present spectroscopic amplitudes and spectroscopic factors, and compare those to no-core symplectic shell-model results in larger model spaces, to gain insight into the underlying physics that drives alpha-clustering. Specifically, we report on the alpha partial width of the lowest $1^-$ resonance in $^{20}$Ne, which is found to be in good agreement with experiment. We also present first no-core shell-model estimates for asymptotic normalization coefficients for the ground state, as well as for the first excited $4^{+}$ state in $^{20}$Ne that lies in a close proximity to the $^{16}$O$+alpha$ threshold. This outcome highlights the importance of correlations for developing cluster structures and for describing alpha widths. The widths can then be used to calculate alpha-capture reaction rates for narrow resonances of interest to astrophysics. We explore the reaction rate for the alpha-capture reaction $^{16}$O$(alpha,gamma)^{20}$Ne at astrophysically relevant temperatures and determine its impact on simulated X-ray burst abundances.
Recently, we have determined surface distributions of $alpha$ clusters in the ground state of $^{20}mathrm{Ne}$ from $alpha$-transfer cross sections, without investigating the properties of its excited states. In this paper we extend our comprehension of $alpha$-cluster structures in excited states of nuclei through reaction studies. In particular we focus on $^{16}mathrm{O}$, for which attention has been paid to advances of structure theory and assignment regarding $4^+$-resonance states. We study the surface manifestation of the $alpha$-cluster states in both the ground and excited states of $^{16}mathrm{O}$ from the analysis of the $alpha$-transfer reaction $^{12}mathrm{C}(^6mathrm{Li},d)^{16}mathrm{O}$. The $alpha$-transfer reaction is described by the distorted-wave Born approximation. We test two microscopic wave functions as an input of reaction calculations. Then a phenomenological potential model is introduced to clarify the correspondence between cluster-wave functions and transfer-cross sections. Surface peaks of the $alpha$-wave function of $^{16}mathrm{O}(0^+)$ are sensitively probed by transfer-cross sections at forward angles, while it remains unclear how we trace the surface behavior of $^{16}mathrm{O}(4^+)$ from the cross sections. We are able to specify that the $alpha$-cluster structure in the $0_1^+$ and $0_2^+$ states prominently manifests itself at the radii $sim 4$ and $sim 4.5$~fm, respectively. It is remarkable that the $4_1^+$ state has the $^{12}mathrm{C}+alpha$-cluster component with the surface peak at the radius $sim 4$ or outer, whereas the $^{12}mathrm{C}+alpha$-cluster component in the $4_2^+$ state is found not to be dominant. The $4_2^+$ state is difficult to be interpreted by a simple potential model assuming the $^{12}mathrm{C}+alpha$ configuration only.
The $^{22}$Ne($alpha$,$gamma$)$^{26}$Mg and $^{22}$Ne($alpha$,n)$^{25}$Mg reactions play an important role in astrophysics because they have significant influence on the neutron flux during the weak branch of the s-process. We constrain the astrophysical rates for these reactions by measuring partial $alpha$-widths of resonances in $^{26}$Mg located in the Gamow window for the $^{22}$Ne+$alpha$ capture. These resonances were populated using $^{22}$Ne($^6$Li,d)$^{26}$Mg and $^{22}$Ne($^7$Li,t)$^{26}$Mg reactions at energies near the Coulomb barrier. At these low energies $alpha$-transfer reactions favor population of low spin states and the extracted partial $alpha$-widths for the observed resonances exhibit only minor dependence on the model parameters. The astrophysical rates for both the $^{22}$Ne($alpha$,$gamma$)$^{26}$Mg and the $^{22}$Ne($alpha$,n)$^{25}$Mg reactions are shown to be significantly different than the previously suggested values.
Background The nuclear structure of the cluster bands in $^{20}$Ne presents a challenge for different theoretical approaches. It is especially difficult to explain the broad 0$^+$, 2$^+$ states at 9 MeV excitation energy. Simultaneously, it is important to obtain more reliable experimental data for these levels in order to quantitatively assess the theoretical framework. Purpose To obtain new data on $^{20}$Ne $alpha$ cluster structure. Method Thick target inverse kinematics technique was used to study the $^{16}$O+$alpha$ resonance elastic scattering and the data were analyzed using an textit{R} matrix approach. The $^{20}$Ne spectrum, the cluster and nucleon spectroscopic factors were calculated using cluster-nucleon configuration interaction model (CNCIM). Results We determined the parameters of the broad resonances in textsuperscript{20}Ne: 0$^+$ level at 8.77 $pm$ 0.150 MeV with a width of 750 (+500/-220) keV; 2$^+$ level at 8.75 $pm$ 0.100 MeV with the width of 695 $pm$ 120 keV; the width of 9.48 MeV level of 65 $pm$ 20 keV and showed that 9.19 MeV, 2$^+$ level (if exists) should have width $leq$ 10 keV. The detailed comparison of the theoretical CNCIM predictions with the experimental data on cluster states was made. Conclusions Our experimental results by the TTIK method generally confirm the adopted data on $alpha$ cluster levels in $^{20}$Ne. The CNCIM gives a good description of the $^{20}$Ne positive parity states up to an excitation energy of $sim$ 7 MeV, predicting reasonably well the excitation energy of the states and their cluster and single particle properties. At higher excitations, the qualitative disagreement with the experimentally observed structure is evident, especially for broad resonances.