Resonance-to-bound transition of $^5$He in neutron matter and its analogy with heteronuclear Feshbach molecule

TL;DR

This paper explores how a neutron-alpha p-wave resonance in dilute neutron matter transitions into a bound state due to Pauli-blocking effects, drawing an analogy with heteronuclear Feshbach molecules in cold atomic systems.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of resonance-to-bound transition in neutron matter caused by Pauli-blocking, linking nuclear physics with cold atom experiments.

Findings

Resonance becomes a bound state in neutron matter due to Pauli-blocking.

The phenomenon is analogous to heteronuclear Feshbach molecule formation.

Potential realization in cold atomic experiments near Feshbach resonances.

Abstract

We theoretically investigate the fate of a neutron-alpha $p$-wave resonance in dilute neutron matter, which may be encountered in neutron stars and supernova explosions. While $^5$He is known as a resonant state that decays to a neutron and an alpha particle in vacuum, this unstable state turns into a stable bound state in the neutron Fermi sea because the decay process is forbidden by the Pauli-blocking effect of neutrons. Such a resonance-to-bound transition assisted by the Pauli-blocking effect can be realized in cold atomic experiments for a quantum mixture near the heteronuclear Feshbach resonance.