Combining Halo-EFT Descriptions of Nuclei and Precise Models of Nuclear Reactions

The clear separation of scales observed in halo nuclei between the extended halo and the compact core makes these exotic nuclei a perfect subject for effective field theory (EFT). Such description leads to a systematic expansion of the core-halo Hamiltonian, which naturally orders the nuclear-structure observables. In this short review, I show the advantages there are to include Halo-EFT descriptions within precise models of reactions. It helps identifying the nuclear-structure observables that matter in the description of the reactions, and enables us to easily bridge predictions of nuclear-structure calculations to reaction observables. I illustrate this on breakup, transfer and knockout reactions with $$^{11}$$ 11 Be, the archetypical one-neutron halo nucleus.

Study of the matter density distributions of halo nuclei 6He and 16C using the binary cluster model

The harmonic oscillator (HO) and Gaussian (GS) wave functions within the binary cluster model (BCM) have been employ to investigate the ground state neutron, proton and matter densities as well as the elastic form factors of two-neutron 6He and 16C halo nuclei. The long tail is a property that is clearly revealed in the density of the neutrons since it is found in halo orbits. The existence of a long tail in the neutron density distributions of 6He and 16C indicating that these nuclei have a neutron halo structure. Moreover, the matter rms radii and the reaction cross section (σr) of these nuclei have been calculated using the Glauber model.

Influence of halo single-neutron transfer on near barrier $$^{15}$$C + $$^{12}$$C total fusion

A recent comparison of the average fusion cross section, $$\left\langle \sigma _\mathrm {F}\right\rangle $$ σ F , for energies just above the Coulomb barrier for the $$^{12-15}$$ 12 - 15 C + $$^{12}$$ 12 C systems found that the behaviour as a function of projectile neutron excess could not be satisfactorily explained by static barrier penetration model calculations and suggested that the neutron dynamics plays an important rôle. In this work we demonstrate that the ($$^{15}$$ 15 C,$$^{14}$$ 14 C) single neutron transfer has a significant influence on the above barrier $$^{15}$$ 15 C + $$^{12}$$ 12 C total fusion, although not quite in the way expected since it leads to a reduction in the cross section, contrary to the trend in the measured $$\left\langle \sigma _\mathrm {F}\right\rangle $$ σ F . However, this result underlines the danger of ignoring the effect of neutron transfer reactions on fusion in systems involving neutron halo nuclei.