Single-particle motion at large distances in 2N+core cluster systems near the drip line: a challenge for nuclear theory and experiment

TL;DR

This paper investigates the complex single-particle motion in loosely-bound nuclei near the drip line, emphasizing the importance of non-standard overlap integrals for interpreting experimental data and theoretical predictions.

Contribution

It introduces a three-body model to analyze non-standard overlap behaviors in 2N+core systems near the drip line, highlighting challenges for nuclear theory and experiment.

Findings

Non-standard overlap integrals significantly affect reaction interpretations.

Three-body model reveals correlations impacting single-particle motion.

Challenges in modeling and experimental analysis are identified.

Abstract

There exists a class of nuclei that are obtained by adding one nucleon to a loosely-bound nucleon-core system, for example $^{12}$Be, $^9$C, $^{18}$Ne. For such nuclei, one-nucleon overlap integrals that represent single-particle motion can strongly differ from the standard ones due to the correlations between the two nucleons above the core. The possible non-standard overlap behaviour should be included in the interpretation of the experimental data derived from one nucleon removal reactions such as knockout, transfer and breakup, as well as the predictions of low-energy nucleon capture that leads to these nuclei. We investigate the non-standard behaviour within a three-body model and discuss the challenges associated with this problem.