Clusterization in nuclear states at the edge of stability

TL;DR

This paper explores how nuclear states near decay thresholds exhibit clustering due to quantum mimicry, and how at higher energies, statistical mechanisms overshadow quantum effects in cluster formation.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of quantum mimicry in nuclear clusterization and analyzes the transition to statistical mechanisms at higher excitation energies.

Findings

Quantum mimicry explains clustering in low-energy nuclear states.

At higher energies, statistical mechanisms dominate clusterization.

The study uses $^8$Be as a key example.

Abstract

The open quantum system eigenstate in the vicinity of low-energy decay channel may mimic its features, in particular the characteristic clustering properties of the decay channel. This generic mechanism of clusterization, the so-called mimicry mechanism of clusterization, is discussed here on example of the ground state wave function of $^8$Be. At higher excitation energies, when the density of states and reaction channels is high, the quantal aspects in the clusterization process disappear and the statistical mechanism of clusterization which is rooted in the Central Limit Theorem, begin to dominate.