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Title: Coexistence of BCS- and BEC-Like Pair Structures in Halo Nuclei

Journal Article · · Physical Review Letters
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4]
  1. Department of Physics, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578 (Japan)
  2. Center for Mathematical Sciences, University of Aizu, Aizu-Wakamatsu, Fukushima 965-8560 (Japan)
  3. Laboratoire de Physique Subatomique et de Cosmologie, F-38026 Grenoble Cedex (France)
  4. Institut de Physique Nucleaire, CNRS, UMR8608, Orsay F-91406 (France)

We investigate the spatial structure of the two-neutron wave function in the Borromean nucleus {sup 11}Li, using a three-body model of {sup 9}Li+n+n, which includes many-body correlations stemming from the Pauli principle. The behavior of the neutron pair at different densities is simulated by calculating the two-neutron wave function at several distances between the core nucleus {sup 9}Li and the center of mass of the two neutrons. With this representation, a strong concentration of the neutron pair on the nuclear surface is for the first time quantitatively established for neutron-rich nuclei. That is, the neutron pair wave function in {sup 11}Li has an oscillatory behavior at normal density, while it becomes a well-localized single peak in the dilute density region around the nuclear surface. We point out that these features qualitatively correspond to the BCS- and BEC-like structures of the pair wave function found in infinite nuclear matter.

OSTI ID:
20957878
Journal Information:
Physical Review Letters, Vol. 99, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.022506; (c) 2007 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0031-9007
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English