Resonance states in 12C and α-particle condensation

Abstract

The states with $J^\pi=0^+$, $2^+$, and $4^+$ of $^{12}$C with excitation energies less than about 15 MeV are investigated with the alpha condensate wave function with spatial deformation and by using the method of ACCC (analytic continuation in the coupling constant) which is necessary for a proper treatment of resonance states. The calculated energy and width of the recently observed $2_2^+$ state are found to be well reproduced. The obtained $2_2^+$ wave function has a large overlap with a single condensate wave function of $3\alpha$ gas-like structure. The density distribution is shown to be almost the same as that of the $0_2^+$ state that is regarded as a $3\alpha$ Bose-condensed state, if the energy of the $2_2^+$ state is scaled down to the same value as the one of the $0_2^+$ state. Furthermore, the kinetic energy, nuclear interaction energy, and Coulomb interaction energy of the calculated $2_2^+$ state are shown to be very similar to those of the $0_2^+$ state. We conclude that the $2_2^+$ state has a structure similar to the $0_2^+$ state of Bose-condensate character with a dilute $3\alpha$ gas-like structure. In addition the resonance states, $0_3^+$, $0_4^+$, $4_2^+$, are also discussed.