Abstract
A modern variation of the Rutherford experiment to probe the tunneling of exotic nuclear matter from the measurement of the residues formed in the bombardment of by extremely neutron-rich nuclei is presented. Using a novel off-beam technique the most precise and accurate measurements of fusion and neutron transfer involving reaccelerated unstable beams are reported. The results show unusual behavior of the tunneling of compared to that for lighter helium isotopes, highlighting the role of the intrinsic structure of composite many-body quantum systems and pairing correlations.
- Received 15 September 2009
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.232701
©2009 American Physical Society
Viewpoint
A 21st century Rutherford experiment
Published 30 November 2009
Collisions of neutron-rich helium nuclei with gold targets show how the internal arrangement of nucleons influences nuclear fusion reaction mechanisms.
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