Alpha-clustering effects in heavy nuclei

Abstract

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.