Small eta-N scattering lengths favour eta-d and eta-alpha states

Unstable states of the eta meson and the 3He nucleus predicted using the time delay method were found to be in agreement with a recent claim of eta-mesic 3He states made by the TAPS collaboration. Here, we extend this method to a speculative study of the unstable states occurring in the eta-d and eta-4He elastic scattering. The T-matrix for eta-4He scattering is evaluated within the Finite Rank Approximation (FRA) of few body equations. For the evaluation of time delay in the eta-d case, we use a parameterization of an existing Faddeev calculation and compare the results with those obtained from FRA. With an eta-N scattering length, $a_{\eta N} = (0.42, 0.34)$ fm, we find an eta-d unstable bound state around -16 MeV, within the Faddeev calculation. A similar state within the FRA is found for a low value of $a_{\eta N}$, namely, $a_{\eta N} = (0.28, 0.19)$ fm. The existence of an eta-4He unstable bound state close to threshold is hinted by $a_{\eta N} = (0.28, 0.19)$ fm, but is ruled out by large scattering lengths.Comment: 21 pages, LaTex, 7 Figure

Experimental Study of the Role of Atomic Interactions on Quantum Transport

We report an experimental study of quantum transport for atoms confined in a periodic potential and compare between thermal and BEC initial conditions. We observe ballistic transport for all values of well depth and initial conditions, and the measured expansion velocity for thermal atoms is in excellent agreement with a single-particle model. For weak wells, the expansion of the BEC is also in excellent agreement with single-particle theory, using an effective temperature. We observe a crossover to a new regime for the BEC case as the well depth is increased, indicating the importance of interactions on quantum transport.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Evidence of Pentaquark States from K+ N Scattering Data?

Motivated by the recent experimental evidence of the exotic B = S = +1 baryonic state Theta(1540), we examine the older existing data on K+ N elastic scattering through the time delay method. We find positive peaks in time delay around 1.545 and 1.6 GeV in the D03 and P01 partial waves of K+ N scattering respectively, in agreement with experiments. We also find an indication of the J=3/2 Theta* spin-orbit partner to the Theta, in the P03 partial wave at 1.6 GeV. We discuss the pros and contras of these findings in support of the interpretation of these peaks as possible exotics.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure

Bose-Einstein Condensate Driven by a Kicked Rotor in a Finite Box

We study the effect of different heating rates of a dilute Bose gas confined in a quasi-1D finite, leaky box. An optical kicked-rotor is used to transfer energy to the atoms while two repulsive optical beams are used to confine the atoms. The average energy of the atoms is localized after a large number of kicks and the system reaches a nonequilibrium steady state. A numerical simulation of the experimental data suggests that the localization is due to energetic atoms leaking over the barrier. Our data also indicates a correlation between collisions and the destruction of the Bose-Einstein condensate fraction.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figure

No classical limit of quantum decay for broad states

Though the classical treatment of spontaneous decay leads to an exponential decay law, it is well known that this is an approximation of the quantum mechanical result which is a non-exponential at very small and large times for narrow states. The non exponential nature at large times is however hard to establish from experiments. A method to recover the time evolution of unstable states from a parametrization of the amplitude fitted to data is presented. We apply the method to a realistic example of a very broad state, the sigma meson and reveal that an exponential decay is not a valid approximation at any time for this state. This example derived from experiment, shows the unique nature of broad resonances

Analysis of averaged multichannel delay times

The physical significances and the pros and cons involved in the usage of different time delay formalisms are discussed. The delay time matrix introduced by Eisenbud, where only s-waves participate in a reaction, is in general related to the definition of an angular time delay which is shown not to be equivalent to the so-called phase time delay of Eisenbud and Wigner even for single channel scattering. Whereas the expression due to Smith which is derived from a time delayed radial wave packet is consistent with a lifetime matrix which is Hermitian, this is not true for any Eisenbud-type lifetime matrix which violates time reversal invariance. Extending the angular time delay of Nussenzveig to multiple channels, we show that if one performs an average over the directions and subtracts the forward angle contribution containing an interference of the incident and scattered waves, the multichannel angle dependent average time delay reduces to the one given by Smith. The present work also rectifies a recently misinterpreted misnomer of the relation due to Smith.Comment: 15 pages, LaTe

Critical view of WKB decay widths

A detailed comparison of the expressions for the decay widths obtained within the semiclassical WKB approximation using different approaches to the tunneling problem is performed. The differences between the available improved formulae for tunneling near the top and the bottom of the barrier are investigated. Though the simple WKB method gives the right order of magnitude of the decay widths, a small number of parameters are often fitted. The need to perform the fitting procedure remaining consistently within the WKB framework is emphasized in the context of the fission model based calculations. Calculations for the decay widths of some recently found super heavy nuclei using microscopic alpha-nucleus potentials are presented to demonstrate the importance of a consistent WKB calculation. The half-lives are found to be sensitive to the density dependence of the nucleon-nucleon interaction and the implementation of the Bohr-Sommerfeld quantization condition inherent in the WKB approach.Comment: 18 pages, Late

Ion-lithium collision dynamics studied with an in-ring MOTReMi

We present a novel experimental tool allowing for kinematically complete studies of break-up processes of laser-cooled atoms. This apparatus, the 'MOTReMi', is a combination of a magneto-optical trap (MOT) and a Reaction Microscope (ReMi). Operated in an ion-storage ring, the new setup enables to study the dynamics in swift ion-atom collisions on an unprecedented level of precision and detail. In first experiments on collisions with 1.5 MeV/amu O$^{8+}$-Li the pure ionization of the valence electron as well as ionization-excitation of the lithium target has been investigated