Alpha Chain Structures of ^{12}C

Abstract

N-\alpha structures of light nuclei with axial symmetry are studied using relativistic Hartree approximation. Metastable excited states are searched in a configuration space which allows linear alpha chain structures. As a result, it is shown that ^{12}C has ^8Be + \alpha resonance state at about 1 MeV above ^8Be-\alpha threshold as an asymmetric 3-\alpha linear-chain structure, which plays an important role in stellar nucleosynthesis.

Comments: 3 pages