Tan Ahn, University of Notre Dame
Searching for Clusters in Nuclei Using Radioactive Beams and Active Targets
Argonne Physics Division Seminar - 3:30 PM, 16 Jan 2017
Building 203, Conference Room R-150

There is a large amount of evidence that clusters form in nuclei. This emergent phenomenon is not fully understood at the level of the nucleon interaction and the extent of the existence of clusters is not known. There have been predictions for cluster states in unstable nuclei with additional “valence” particles outside of well-formed clusters. These extra degrees of freedom along with the clusters themselves allow for a rich array of structures including those that resemble a linear chain of alpha particles. I will present our current research program at the University of Notre Dame to experimentally search for and refine our knowledge of cluster states using radioactive beams and active targets. These tools allow us to search for clusters in unstable nuclei using reactions with alpha particles. Verification of the predictions of cluster models and searching for clusters in previously unstudied regions of nuclei is the first step in mapping out where clusters states exist in order to understand how they form.

Argonne Physics Division Seminar Schedule