Investigation of spatial manifestation of α clusters in 16O via α-transfer reactions

Abstract

Recently, we have determined surface distributions of α clusters in the ground state of Ne20 from α-transfer cross sections, without investigating the properties of its excited states. In this paper we extend our comprehension of α-cluster structures in excited states of nuclei through reaction studies. In particular we focus on O16, for which attention has been paid to advances of structure theory and assignment regarding 4+-resonance states. We study the surface manifestation of the α-cluster states in both the ground and excited states of O16 from the analysis of the α-transfer reaction C12(Li6,d)16O. The α-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 α-wave function of O16(0+) are sensitively probed by transfer-cross sections at forward angles, while it remains unclear how we trace the surface behavior of O16(4+) from the cross sections. From inspection of the cross sections at forward angles, we are able to specify that the α-cluster structure in the 01+ and 02+ states prominently manifests itself at the radii ∼4 and ∼4.5 fm, respectively. It is remarkable that the 41+ state has the C12+α-cluster component with the surface peak at the radius ∼4 or outer, whereas the C12+α-cluster component in the 42+ state is found not to be dominant. The 42+ state is difficult to be interpreted by a simple potential model assuming the C12+α configuration only.