Exclusive decay study of the 16.62 MeV (2−, T = 1) resonance in 12C

• Published in: Physics letters. B Vol. 825; p. 136857
• Main Authors: Kuhlwein, M., Lytje, K., Fynbo, H.O.U., Gad, A., Jensen, E., Kirsebom, O.S., Munch, M., Refsgaard, J., Riisager, K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.02.2022; Elsevier
• Subjects: Breakup and momentum distributions; Collective levels; Multifragment emission and correlations; Collective levels; Breakup and momentum distributions; Multifragment emission and correlations
• ISSN: 0370-2693; 1873-2445
• DOI: 10.1016/j.physletb.2021.136857

The 3α decay of the 16.62 MeV (2−, T=1) resonance in 12C has been studied for nearly a century starting with one of the first nuclear reaction studies at the Cavendish Laboratory in the 1930s. In the hitherto latest study published a decade ago a model based on earlier work from the 1960s was found to give a good account of a set of inclusive data. This model describes the decay as an l=3 α-particle populating the 2+ state of 8Be. Here we provide new exclusive data on the 3α decay of the 16.62 MeV resonance, and demonstrate that the decay is best described by a model with predominantly l=1 emission with an admixture of l=3.