Eur. Phys. J. A 15, 131-133 (2002)
DOI: 10.1140/epja/i2001-10240-x

Molecular structure of nuclei

H. Horiuchi

Department of Physics, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan

horiuchi@ruby.scphys.kyoto-u.ac.jp

(Received: 21 March 2002 / Published online: 31 October 2002)

Abstract
Cluster structures of nuclei are discussed, with emphasis on nuclear clustering in unstable nuclei. The subjects we discuss are alpha condensed states, clustering in Be and B isotopes, and clustering in ³²Mg and ³⁰Ne. The subject of alpha cluster condensation comes from the clustering nature of dilute nuclear matter. We discuss that recent heavy-ion central collision experiments give us nice evidence of the clustering in dilute nuclear matter. We then present a new prediction of the existence of the "alpha cluster condensed states" in the self-conjugate 4n nuclei around the breakup threshold energy into n alpha-particles. As for the clustering in neutron-rich Be, we discuss the comparison between the antisymmetrized molecular-dynamics results and the recent experimental data, which shows that the clustering feature manifests itself very clearly in neutron-rich Be isotopes both in the ground and excited states. Clustering in Be isotopes near neutron dripline is intimately related to the breaking of the neutron magic number N=8. We report our recent study about the possible relationship between the clustering and the breaking of the neutron magic number N=20 in ³²Mg and ³⁰Ne.

PACS
21.60.-n - Nuclear-structure models and methods.

© Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag 2002