Possibility of Studying Neutron–Neutron Correlations in Halo Nuclei

Abstract

An experimental investigation of the reaction of core pickup from ⁶He and ¹¹Li two-neutronhalo nuclei is proposed. In such experiments, neutron–neutron correlations in a halo nucleus will be assessed on the basis of the energy of a neutron–neutron quasibound state. A detailed kinematical simulation of the reaction ⁶He + ²H → ⁶Li + (nn) →⁶ Li + n + n is performed. It is shown that the energy of the quasibound state in question can determined from the shape of the energy spectrum of neutrons originating from the breakup of this state. In the proposed exclusive experiment, a beam of ⁶He (¹¹Li) nuclei with an energy of about 5 to 10 MeV per nucleon interacts with a deuterated-polyethylene target. This will permit detecting charged particles (⁶Li and ¹¹Be) and a neutron. On the basis of determining the energy of the neutron–neutron quasibound state, it will become possible to estimate the effective attraction between the valence neutrons in the field of the third particle (core).