Spin-dependent effective interactions for halo nuclei

We discuss the spin-dependence of the effective two-body interactions appropriate for three-body computations. The only reasonable choice seems to be the fine and hyperfine interactions known for atomic electrons interacting with the nucleus. One exception is the nucleon-nucleon interaction imposing a different type of symmetry. We use the two-neutron halo nucleus 11Li as illustration. We demonstrate that models with the wrong spin-dependence are basically without predictive power. The Pauli forbidden core and valence states must be consistently treated.Comment: TeX file, 6 pages, 3 postscript figure

Origin of Borromean systems

The complex energies of the three-body resonances for one infinitely heavy particle and two non-interacting light particles are the sum of the two contributing two-body complex resonance energies. The bound state of a Borromean system originates from a resonance when the third interaction is introduced, a finite mass is allowed and proper angular momentum coupling is included. The relative importance of these contributions are investigated and the resulting structure of Borromean systems are traced back to the two-body continuum properties. The $0^+$ and $2^+$ states in $^{6}$He result from neutron-core p-states and the ground and first excited state of $^{11}$Li originate from neutron-core $s^2$ and $sp$-states.Comment: Physics Letters B, in pres

Resonances in three-body systems with short and long-range interactions

The complex scaling method permits calculations of few-body resonances with the correct asymptotic behaviour using a simple box boundary condition at a sufficiently large distance. This is also valid for systems involving more than one charged particle. We first apply the method on two-body systems. Three-body systems are then investigated by use of the (complex scaled) hyperspheric adiabatic expansion method. The case of the 2$^+$ resonance in $^6$Be and $^6$Li is considered. Radial wave functions are obtained showing the correct asymptotic behaviour at intermediate values of the hyperradii, where wave functions can be computed fully numerically.Comment: invited talk at the 18th International Conference on Few-Body Problems in Physics, Santos-S.Paulo, August 21-26, 200

Isospin mixing and energy distributions in three-body decay

The structure of the second 2$^+$ resonance in $^{6}$Li is investigated with special emphasis on its isospin 0 components. The wave functions are computed in a three-body model ($\alpha$+$n$+$p$) using the hyperspherical adiabatic expansion method combined with complex scaling. In the decay into three free particles the symmetry conserving short-range interaction dominates at short distance whereas the symmetry breaking Coulomb interaction dominates at intermediate and large distances resulting in substantial isospin mixing. We predict the mixing and the energy distributions of the fragments after decay. Computations are consistent with available experiments. We conjecture that nuclear three-body decays frequently produce such large isospin mixing at large distance where the energy distributions. are determined.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, to be published in Physics Letters

Breakup of three particles within the adiabatic expansion method

General expressions for the breakup cross sections in the lab frame for $1+2$ reactions are given in terms of the hyperspherical adiabatic basis. The three-body wave function is expanded in this basis and the corresponding hyperradial functions are obtained by solving a set of second order differential equations. The ${\cal S}$-matrix is computed by using two recently derived integral relations. Even though the method is shown to be well suited to describe $1+2$ processes, there are nevertheless particular configurations in the breakup channel (for example those in which two particles move away close to each other in a relative zero-energy state) that need a huge number of basis states. This pathology manifests itself in the extremely slow convergence of the breakup amplitude in terms of the hyperspherical harmonic basis used to construct the adiabatic channels. To overcome this difficulty the breakup amplitude is extracted from an integral relation as well. For the sake of illustration, we consider neutron-deuteron scattering. The results are compared to the available benchmark calculations

Momentum distributions and reaction mechanisms for breakup of two--neutron halos

A theoretical model able to describe fragmentation reactions of three--body halo nuclei on different targets, from light to heavy, is used to compute neutron and core momentum distributions. Both Coulomb and nuclear interactions are simultaneously included. We specify the different reaction mechanisms related to various processes. The method is applied to fragmentation of $^6$He and $^{11}$Li on C and Pb. We find good agreement with the available experimental results.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, Phys.Lett.B in pres

Recombination rates from potential models close to the unitary limit

We investigate universal behavior in the recombination rate of three bosons close to threshold. Using the He-He system as a reference, we solve the three-body Schr\"odinger equation above the dimer threshold for different potentials having large values of the two-body scattering length $a$. To this aim we use the hyperspherical adiabatic expansion and we extract the $S$-matrix through the integral relations recently derived. The results are compared to the universal form, $\alpha\approx 67.1\sin^2[s_0\ln(\kappa_*a)+\gamma]$, for different values of $a$ and selected values of the three-body parameter $\kappa_*$. A good agreement with the universal formula is obtained after introducing a particular type of finite-range corrections, which have been recently proposed by two of the authors in Ref.[1]. Furthermore, we analyze the validity of the above formula in the description of a very different system: neutron-neutron-proton recombination. Our analysis confirms the universal character of the process in systems of very different scales having a large two-body scattering length

Three-body structure of the low-lying 17^{17}Ne-states

The Borromean nucleus $^{17}$Ne ($^{15}$O$+ p + p$) is investigated by using the hyperspheric adiabatic expansion for a a three-body system. The measured size of $^{15}$O and the low-lying resonances of $^{16}$F ($^{15}$O$+ p$) are first used as constraints to determine both central and spin-dependent two-body interactions. Then, the ground state structure of $^{17}$Ne is found to be an almost equal mixture of $s^2$ and $d^2$ proton-$^{15}$O relative states, the two lowest excited states have about 80% of $sd$-mixed components, and for the next two excited three-body states the proton-$^{15}$O relative s-states do not contribute. The spatial extension is as in ordinary nuclei. The widths of the resonances are estimated by the WKB transmission through the adiabatic potentials and found in agreement with the established experimental limits. We compare with experimental information and previous works.Comment: 29 pages, 7 postscript figures, to be published in Nuclear Physics

Inclusive quasielastic electron scattering on 6^6He: a probe of the halo structure

We investigate inclusive electron scattering reactions on two-neutron halo nuclei in the quasielastic region. Expressions for the cross section and structure functions are given assuming that the halo nucleus can be described as a three-body system (${core}+n+n$). The method is applied to $^6$He. We compute cross sections and structure functions, and investigate the kinematic conditions for which the observables are determined either by $\alpha$-knockout or by halo neutron-knockout. The optimal kinematical domain to disantangle the momentum distributions of the various components of the three--body system ($q \lesssim 200$ MeV/c and $\omega < q^2/2M_N + 20$ MeV) are explored.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures. Physics Letters B, in pres