Electromagnetic Decay of Molecular States

TL;DR

This paper reviews electromagnetic transitions in deformed and cluster-structured nuclei, highlighting experimental findings on enhanced E1, E2, and M1 transitions, and explores links between cluster configurations and superdeformation in various nuclei.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive review of electromagnetic decay modes in cluster and superdeformed nuclear states, including recent experimental results on radiative capture reactions.

Findings

Enhanced E2 and E1 transitions observed in light nuclei.

Strong M1 isovector transitions feeding low-lying states in $^{28}$Si.

Connections established between cluster structures and superdeformed configurations.

Abstract

Electromagnetic transitions from deformed structures based on $\alpha$ configurations or on heavier clusters are discussed, drawing the link between multiparticle-multihole excited bands and cluster structures. Enhanced E2 and E1 transitions are reviewed in the light nuclei, $^8$Be, $^{10}$Be, $^{12}$C, $^{16}$O, $^{18}$O and heavier ones like $^{212}$Po. Connections between cluster structures and superdeformed configurations in $^{36}$Ar and $^{40}$Ca are discussed. What the cluster states based on heavier substructures like $^{12}$C and $^{16}$O are concerned, recent results on the resonant radiative capture reaction $^{12}$C($^{16}$O,$\gamma$)$^{28}$Si are presented, in particular the strong decay mode involving the feeding of low-lying $^{28}$Si 1$^+$ and 2$^+$ T=1 states by enhanced M1 isovector transitions.