https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/s10050-023-01105-5
Review
Alpha-clustering and related phenomena in medium and heavy nuclei
1
Horia Hulubei National Institute for R &D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering, P.O. Box MG-6, 30 Reactorului, RO-077125, Bucharest-Măgurele, Romania
2
Academy of Romanian Scientists, 3 Ilfov, RO-050044, Bucharest, Romania
3
Department of Physics, University of Bucharest, POB MG-11, 405 Atomistilor, RO-077125, Bucharest-Măgurele, Romania
Received:
6
June
2023
Accepted:
7
August
2023
Published online:
13
September
2023
We review the phenomenological versus microscopic description of 
-clustering in nuclei above 
. The even–odd staggering in pair binding energies along -lines is explained in terms of the so-called isospin pairing. We compare the pocket-like potential on the nuclear surface, where -clusters are formed with significant probability, to the local equivalent potential provided by the microscopic cluster mean field approach. The systematics of the -decay width shows significantly larger cluster probabilities above magic numbers. The relation of -clustering to electromagnetic and weak processes is analyzed.
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Società Italiana di Fisica and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2023. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
