Exploring cluster structures in the high excitation energy region of Be, B, and C isotopes via ¹⁰B + ¹⁰B nuclear reactions

¹ Division of Experimental Physics, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
² Physics Department, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
³ INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Sud and Sezione di Catania, Catania, Italy

^* e-mail: djelavic@irb.hr

Published online: 28 October 2024

Abstract

The unique opportunity presented by ¹⁰B + ¹⁰B reactions to study high-energy, high-spin states in the A=10 mass region is explored. Results from the measurement at 72 MeV are presented, the most important being new and rarely seen states in the ¹²C [1] and ¹³C [2], which motivate targeted future experiments. In particular, a new state of ¹²C at E_x = 24.4 MeV is strongly populated in the triple α-particle coincidences, while the rarely seen state at E_x = 30.3 MeV is found to be strong in the d+¹⁰B decay channel, reinforcing the previous suggestions that it has the exotic 2α+2d molecular structure [3]. Regarding the ¹³C nucleus, a potentially novel state at E_x = 19.0 MeV is prominently observed in α+ ⁹Be coincidences and demonstrates a well-defined cluster structure. Lastly, high-spin states in mirror nuclei pairs ⁹Be-⁹B, ¹⁰Be-¹⁰C and ¹¹B-¹¹C populated in the presented measurement are explored.