Comment on "Evidence for superdeformed shape isomeric states in 28Si at excitations above 40 MeV through observations of selective particle decays of 16O+12C resonances in 8Be and alpha channels"

Abstract

A recent study of the $^{12}\mathrm{C}$${(}^{16}$O${,}^{8}$Be${)}^{20}$Ne and $^{12}\mathrm{C}$${(}^{16}$O,\ensuremath{\alpha}${)}^{24}$Mg reactions has led, through cross channel correlation analysis, to the identification of two superdeformed shape isomeric states in $^{28}\mathrm{Si}$ at excitation energies of 43.7 and 46.2 MeV. We suggest that both these states may have \ensuremath{\alpha}-\ensuremath{\alpha}${\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}^{16}$O-\ensuremath{\alpha} nuclear molecule structure. Our suggestion is supported theoretically by cranked cluster model calculations and experimentally by previous studies of the $^{12}\mathrm{C}$${(}^{12}$C,\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{\alpha}${)}^{16}$O reaction, $^{12}\mathrm{C}$${+}^{12}$C scattering, and the $^{12}\mathrm{C}$${(}^{20}$Ne${,}^{12}$${\mathrm{C}}^{12}$C${)}^{8}$Be transfer reaction.