Stringent upper limit on the direct 3α decay of the Hoyle state in 12C

Smith, Robin; Gai, M.; Ahmed, M. W.; Freer, M.; Fynbo, H. O. U.; Schweitzer, D.; Stern, S. R.

doi:10.1103/physrevc.101.021302

Stringent upper limit on the direct 3α decay of the Hoyle state in ¹²C

Journal Article · Wed Feb 19 00:00:00 EST 2020 · Physical Review C

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevc.101.021302· OSTI ID:1649883

^[1]; ^[2]; Ahmed, M. W. ^[3]; ^[4]; Fynbo, H. O. U. ^[5]; Schweitzer, D. ^[2]; ^[2]

Sheffield Hallam University (United Kingdom); University of Connecticut, Groton, CT (United States); Sheffield Hallam University
University of Connecticut, Groton, CT (United States)
Duke Univ., Durham, NC (United States); North Carolina Central Univ., Durham, NC (United States)
Univ. of Birmingham (United Kingdom)
Aarhus Univ. (Denmark)

We investigate an implication of the most recent observation of a second J^π = 2⁺ state in ¹²C, which was measured using the ¹²C(γ,α)⁸Be_(g.s.) reaction. In addition to the dissociation of ¹²C to an α-particle and ⁸Be in its ground state, a small fraction of events (2%) were identified as direct decays and decays to excited states in ⁸Be. This allowed a limit on the direct 3α partial decay width to be determined as Γ_3α < 32(4) keV. Since this 2⁺ state is predicted by all theoretical models to be a collective excitation of the Hoyle state, the 3α partial width of the Hoyle state is calculable from the ratio of 3α decay penetrabilities of the Hoyle and 2⁺ states. Here, this was calculated by using the semiclassical Wenzel-Kramers-Brillouin approach and we deduce a stringent upper limit for the direct decay branching ratio of the Hoyle state of Γ_3α/Γ < 5.7 × 10^–6, over an order of magnitude lower than previously reported. This result places the direct measurement of this rare decay mode beyond current experimental capabilities.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Sheffield Hallam University (United Kingdom); University of Connecticut, Groton, CT (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Nuclear Physics (NP)

Grant/Contract Number:: FG02-91ER40608; FG02-94ER40870; FG02-97ER41033; SC0005367

OSTI ID:: 1649883

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1601054

Journal Information:: Physical Review C, Journal Name: Physical Review C Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 101; ISSN 2469-9985

Publisher:: American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (31)

The Algebraic Cluster Model: Three-Body Clusters Bijker, R.; Iachello, F. Annals of Physics, Vol. 298, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1006/aphy.2002.6255	journal	June 2002
Nuclear levels near thresholds Barker, F. C.; Treacy, P. B. Nuclear Physics, Vol. 38 https://doi.org/10.1016/0029-5582(62)91014-3	journal	October 1962
The three-body problem with short-range interactions Nielsen, E. Physics Reports, Vol. 347, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0370-1573(00)00107-1	journal	June 2001
Study of the cluster state at Ex=10.3 MeV in 12C Itoh, M.; Akimune, H.; Fujiwara, M. Nuclear Physics A, Vol. 738 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2004.04.044	journal	June 2004
Anatomy of three-body decay I: schematic models Garrido, E.; Fedorov, D. V.; Jensen, A. S. Nuclear Physics A, Vol. 748, Issue 1-2 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2004.10.014	journal	February 2005
Three-body effects in the Hoyle-state decay Refsgaard, J.; Fynbo, H. O. U.; Kirsebom, O. S. Physics Letters B, Vol. 779 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2018.02.031	journal	April 2018
Decay modes of the Hoyle state in C 12 Zheng, H.; Bonasera, A.; Huang, M. Physics Letters B, Vol. 779 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2018.02.040	journal	April 2018
New high precision study on the decay width of the Hoyle state in 12C Rana, T. K.; Bhattacharya, S.; Bhattacharya, C. Physics Letters B, Vol. 793 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2019.04.028	journal	June 2019
An optical readout TPC (O-TPC) for studies in nuclear astrophysics with gamma-ray beams at HIγS ¹ Gai, M.; Ahmed, M. W.; Stave, S. C. Journal of Instrumentation, Vol. 5, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/5/12/P12004	journal	December 2010
2 + excitation of the C 12 Hoyle state Freer, M.; Fujita, H.; Buthelezi, Z. Physical Review C, Vol. 80, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.80.041303	journal	October 2009
Concepts of nuclear α -particle condensation Funaki, Y.; Horiuchi, H.; von Oertzen, W. Physical Review C, Vol. 80, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.80.064326	journal	December 2009
Evidence for a new C 12 state at 13.3 MeV Freer, M.; Almaraz-Calderon, S.; Aprahamian, A. Physical Review C, Vol. 83, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.83.034314	journal	March 2011
Further evidence for the broad 2 2 + state at 9.6 MeV in 12 C Zimmerman, W. R.; Destefano, N. E.; Freer, M. Physical Review C, Vol. 84, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.84.027304	journal	August 2011
Candidate for the 2 + excited Hoyle state at E x ∼ 10 MeV in 12 C Itoh, M.; Akimune, H.; Fujiwara, M. Physical Review C, Vol. 84, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.84.054308	journal	November 2011
α decay of the excited states in 12 C at 7.65 and 9.64 MeV Manfredi, J.; Charity, R. J.; Mercurio, K. Physical Review C, Vol. 85, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.85.037603	journal	March 2012
Consistent analysis of the 2 + excitation of the 12 C Hoyle state populated in proton and α-particle inelastic scattering Freer, M.; Itoh, M.; Kawabata, T. Physical Review C, Vol. 86, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.86.034320	journal	September 2012
Decay and structure of the Hoyle state Ishikawa, S. Physical Review C, Vol. 90, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.90.061604	journal	December 2014
Ab Initio Calculation of the Hoyle State Epelbaum, Evgeny; Krebs, Hermann; Lee, Dean Physical Review Letters, Vol. 106, Issue 19 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.192501	journal	May 2011
Improved Limit on Direct α Decay of the Hoyle State Kirsebom, O. S.; Alcorta, M.; Borge, M. J. G. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 108, Issue 20 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.202501	journal	May 2012
Viability of Carbon-Based Life as a Function of the Light Quark Mass Epelbaum, Evgeny; Krebs, Hermann; Lähde, Timo A. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 110, Issue 11 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.112502	journal	March 2013
Unambiguous Identification of the Second 2 + State in C 12 and the Structure of the Hoyle State Zimmerman, W. R.; Ahmed, M. W.; Bromberger, B. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 110, Issue 15 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.152502	journal	April 2013
Evidence for Triangular D 3 h Symmetry in C 12 Marín-Lámbarri, D. J.; Bijker, R.; Freer, M. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 113, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.012502	journal	June 2014
Further Improvement of the Upper Limit on the Direct 3 α Decay from the Hoyle State in C 12 Itoh, M.; Ando, S.; Aoki, T. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 113, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.102501	journal	September 2014
High-Precision Probe of the Fully Sequential Decay Width of the Hoyle State in C 12 Dell’Aquila, D.; Lombardo, I.; Verde, G. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 119, Issue 13 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.132501	journal	September 2017
New Measurement of the Direct 3 α Decay from the C 12 Hoyle State Smith, R.; Kokalova, Tz.; Wheldon, C. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 119, Issue 13 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.132502	journal	September 2017
Alpha Cluster Condensation in C 12 and O 16 Tohsaki, A.; Horiuchi, H.; Schuck, P. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 87, Issue 19 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.192501	journal	October 2001
Signatures for Multi- α -Condensed States Kokalova, Tz.; Itagaki, N.; von Oertzen, W. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 96, Issue 19 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.96.192502	journal	May 2006
Structure of the Hoyle State in C 12 Chernykh, M.; Feldmeier, H.; Neff, T. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 98, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.98.032501	journal	January 2007
Rotations of the Hoyle State in Carbon-12 Fynbo, Hans; Freer, Martin Physics, Vol. 4 https://doi.org/10.1103/Physics.4.94	journal	November 2011
Microscopic clustering in light nuclei Freer, Martin; Horiuchi, Hisashi; Kanada-En’yo, Yoshiko Reviews of Modern Physics, Vol. 90, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1103/RevModPhys.90.035004	journal	August 2018
The Structure of Ground and Excited States of 12C Kanada-En'yo, Y. Progress of Theoretical Physics, Vol. 117, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1143/PTP.117.655	journal	April 2007

Similar Records

Decay modes of the Hoyle state in

{}^{12}C

Journal Article · Mon Feb 26 19:00:00 EST 2018 · Physics Letters B · OSTI ID:1483667

Radiative decay branching ratio of the Hoyle state

Journal Article · Mon Feb 12 19:00:00 EST 2024 · Physical Review. C · OSTI ID:2329285

Almost medium-free measurement of the Hoyle state direct-decay component with a TPC

Journal Article · Sun Oct 11 20:00:00 EDT 2020 · Physical Review. C · OSTI ID:1673749

Related Subjects

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
Breakup reactions
cluster models
nuclear astrophysics
nuclear reactions
nuclear structure & decays

Stringent upper limit on the direct 3α decay of the Hoyle state in 12C

Citation Formats

References (31)

Similar Records

Related Subjects

Stringent upper limit on the direct 3α decay of the Hoyle state in ¹²C