Alpha cluster condensation in 12C and 16O

Abstract

A new $\alpha$-cluster wave function is proposed which is of the $\alpha$-particle condensate type. Applications to ${}^{12}$C and ${}^{16}$O show that states of low density close to the 3 resp. 4 $\alpha$-particle threshold in both nuclei are possibly of this kind. It is conjectured that all self-conjugate 4$n$ nuclei may show similar features.

Comments: 4 pages, 2 tables, 2 figures