Elastic Coulomb breakup of $^{34}$Na

TL;DR

This paper investigates the elastic Coulomb breakup of $^{34}$Na on $^{208}$Pb at 100 MeV/u using quantum mechanical theory, suggesting $^{34}$Na has a neutron halo structure and proposing its ground state configuration.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed quantum mechanical analysis including deformation effects to study $^{34}$Na breakup, providing insights into its halo nature and ground state configuration.

Findings

$^{34}$Na likely has a neutron halo structure.

The ground state configuration is probably $^{33}$Na($3/2^{+}$) $ imes$ $2p_{3/2} u$.

Narrow momentum distributions support the halo hypothesis.

Abstract

Purpose : The aim of this paper is to study the elastic Coulomb breakup of $^{34}$Na on $^{208}$Pb to give us a core of $^{33}$Na with a neutron and in the process we try and investigate the one neutron separation energy and the ground state configuration of $^{34}$Na. Method : A fully quantum mechanical Coulomb breakup theory within the architecture of post-form finite range distorted wave Born approximation extended to include the effects of deformation is used to research the elastic Coulomb breakup of $^{34}$Na on $^{208}$Pb at 100 MeV/u. The triple differential cross-section calculated for the breakup is integrated over the desired components to find the total cross-section, momentum and angular distributions as well as the average momenta, along with the energy-angular distributions. Results : The total one neutron removal cross-section is calculated to test the possible ground state configurations of $^{34}$Na. The average momentum results along with energy-angular calculations indicate $^{34}$Na to have a halo structure. The parallel momentum distributions with narrow full widths at half maxima signify the same. Conclusion : We have attempted to analyse the possible ground state configurations of $^{34}$Na and in congruity with the patterns in the `island of inversion' conclude that even without deformation, $^{34}$Na should be a neutron halo with a predominant contribution to its ground state most probably coming from $^{33}$Na($3/2^{+}$) $\otimes$ $2p_{3/2}\nu$ configuration. We also surmise that it would certainly be useful and rewarding to test our predictions with an experiment to put stricter limits on its ground state configuration and binding energy.