2021年1月15日
Formation of α clusters in dilute neutron-rich matter
Science
- 巻
- 371
- 号
- 6526
- 開始ページ
- 260
- 終了ページ
- 264
- 記述言語
- 掲載種別
- 研究論文(学術雑誌)
- DOI
- 10.1126/science.abe4688
- 出版者・発行元
- American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
The surface of neutron-rich heavy nuclei, with a neutron skin created by excess neutrons, provides an important terrestrial model system to study dilute neutron-rich matter. By using quasi-free α cluster–knockout reactions, we obtained direct experimental evidence for the formation of α clusters at the surface of neutron-rich tin isotopes. The observed monotonous decrease of the reaction cross sections with increasing mass number, in excellent agreement with the theoretical prediction, implies a tight interplay between α-cluster formation and the neutron skin. This result, in turn, calls for a revision of the correlation between the neutron-skin thickness and the density dependence of the symmetry energy, which is essential for understanding neutron stars. Our result also provides a natural explanation for the origin of α particles in α decay.
- リンク情報
- ID情報
-
- DOI : 10.1126/science.abe4688
- ISSN : 0036-8075
- eISSN : 1095-9203