Dumbbell-Shaped Nucleus

Formation of molecular states in ¹⁰Be based on the exchange of neutrons (blue) in p-orbits based on alpha-particle cores (red-spheres). The left-hand side shows the arrangement which gives rise to pi-bonds, the right-hand side sigma-schematic.

Same as above, except in 2D, and including the phase of the wave-functions. pi_g is the bonding case, pi_u the antibonding case. sigma_u– the bonding sigma bond, and sigma_g the antibonding sigma-bond.

These are some antisymmetrized molecular dynamics calculations by Kanada En’yo et al. which show the proposed cluster structures in ¹⁰Be. On the left-hand side, the 3 panels show the total density, density of protons, and density of the neutrons. The 0⁺₁ is the ground state, the 1^- a negative parity structure and 0⁺₂ the structure that we have measured. The right-hand side shows the calculated orbits of the 2 neutrons outside the 2 alpha-particle cores. For the 0⁺₂ state it can be seen that the neutrons sit in sigma-type orbits.

reported by: Freer et al. in Physical Review Letters

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