Validation of the ${}^{10}\mathrm{Be}$ Ground-State Molecular Structure Using ${}^{10}\mathrm{Be}(p,p\alpha {)}^6\mathrm{He}$ Triple Differential Reaction Cross-Section Measurements

Abstract

The cluster structure of the neutron-rich isotope ${}^{10}$Be has been probed via the $(p,p\alpha )$ reaction at 150 MeV/nucleon in inverse kinematics and in quasifree conditions. The populated states of ${}^6$He residues were investigated through missing mass spectroscopy. The triple differential cross-section for the ground-state transition was extracted for quasifree angle pairs (${\theta }_p$, ${\theta }_{\alpha }$) and compared to distorted-wave impulse approximation reaction calculations performed in a microscopic framework using successively the Tohsaki-Horiuchi-Schuck-Röpke product wave-function and the wave-function deduced from Antisymmetrized Molecular Dynamics calculations. The remarkable agreement between calculated and measured cross-sections in both shape and magnitude validates the molecular structure description of the ${}^{10}$Be ground-state, configured as an $\alpha$-$\alpha$ core with two valence neutrons occupying $\pi$-type molecular orbitals.

Comments: 7 pages, 3 figures, 1 tables