Clustering in relativistic dissociation of $^9$be, $^9$c, $^{10}$c and $^{12}$n nuclei

TL;DR

This paper investigates the dissociation patterns of specific light nuclei at high energy, revealing details about their internal structure, cluster configurations, and decay pathways through nuclear track emulsion experiments.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the cluster structure and dissociation mechanisms of $^9$Be, $^9$C, $^{10}$C, and $^{12}$N nuclei at relativistic energies, including first-time charge topology patterns.

Findings

Evidence of core structure in $^9$Be involving $^8$Be states.

Identification of coherent dissociation of $^9$C into 3$^3$He.

Reconstruction of decay cascade $^{10}$C to $^8$Be via $^9$B.

Abstract

The dissociation features in nuclear track emulsion of $^9$Be, $^{9,10}$C, and $^{12}$N nuclei of 1.2 A GeV energy are presented. The data presented for the nucleus $^9$Be can be considered as evidence that there is a core in its structure in the form of 0$^+$ and 2$^+$ states of the $^8$Be nucleus having roughly equal weights. Events of coherent dissociation $^9$C$\rightarrow 3^3$He associated with the rearrangement of the nucleons outside the $\alpha$-clustering are identified. A pattern of the charge fragment topology in the dissociation of $^{10}$C and $^{12}$N nuclei is obtained for the first time. Contribution of the unbound nucleus decays to the cascade process $^{10}$C$\rightarrow ^9$B$\rightarrow ^8$Be is identified.