Inelastic form factors to alpha particle condensate states in 12C and 16O: what can we learn ? Y. Funaki1, A. Tohsaki2, H. Horiuchi1, P. Schuck3, and G. Ro¨pke4 1 Department of Physics, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan 2 Suzuki Corporation, 46-22 Kamishima-cho Kadoma, Osaka 571-0071 Japan 3 Institut de Physique Nucl´eaire, 91406 Orsay Cedex, France 4 Institut fu¨r Physik, Universit¨at Rostock, D-18051 Rostock, Germany (Dated: February 9, 2008) In order to discuss the spatial extention of the 0+ state of 12C (Hoyle state), we analyze the 2 inelasticformfactorofelectronscatteringtotheHoylestate,whichour3αcondensatewavefunction reproducesverywelllikeprevious3αRGM/GCMmodels. Theanalysisismadebyvaryingthesize of theHoyle state artificially. As a result, we find that only the maximum valueof the form factor sensitivelydependsonitssize,whilethepositionsofmaximumandminimumarealmostunchanged. 6 This size dependence is found to come from a characteristic feature of the transition density from 0 the ground state to the Hoyle state. We further show the theoretical predictions of the inelastic 0 form factor to the 2+ state of 12C, which was recently observed above the Hoyle state, and of the 2 inelastic form factor2to the calculated 0+ state of 16O, which was conjectured to correspond to the 3 n 4α condensed state in previous theoretical work bythe present authors. a J 1 In this short communicationwe want to reporton our We here use the same notation for the alpha condensate 1 calculation of the elastic and inelastic form factors for wave function, ΦN,J=0(β) as was done in Ref. [2]. The 3α groundandHoylestatesin12C.Wealsomakepredictions Hamiltonian H is the same as used in Ref. [2, 3]. The 1 for the inelastic form factors, 0+ →2+ in 12C and 0+ → groundandHoyblestatescorrespondtothecasesofλ=1 v α-condensate state in 16O. 1 2 1 and λ=2 in Eq. (4), respectively. 5 As we have shown previously, our alpha particle wave Our results are shown in FIG. 1 and we give our nu- 3 0 function, published in [1, 2], very nicely reproduces on merical values in Table I. Reflecting the fact that our 1 the one hand some experimental data in 12C and on the wave functions of the ground state and the 0+ state are 2 0 other hand it is in close agreement with calculated re- almost equivalent to those given in Ref. [3] using res- 6 sults of Kamimura et al. [2, 3]. It is therefore not so onating group method (RGM), our elastic and inelastic 0 surprising that our wave function also reproduces very (0+ → 0+) form factors almost completely agree with h/ well the elastic and inelastic (0+ → 0+) form factors in th1ose giv2en in Ref. [3]. In FIG. 2, we predict the in- 1 2 t 12C as this was the case in [3]. This gives quite definite elastic form factor to the 2+ state which is obtained in - 2 l support to our interpretationof the Hoyle state as being Ref.[7]byusing the 3αcondensatewavefunctions. This c u acondensateofalmostindependentalphaparticles[4,5]. state was recently observed at 2.6±0.3 MeV above the n The form factor is obtainedby performing the Fourier three alpha threshold [8], though the exsistence of this : transformation of the transition density as follows, state has been suggested for a long time from the theo- v i 4π ∞ 2 1 reticalpointofview[9]. Recentlythisstatewascarefully X |F(q)|2 = ρ(J) (r)j (qr)r2dr exp − a2q2 . investigated by the present authors [7] showing that the ar 122(cid:12)(cid:12)(cid:12)Z0 J,01 J (cid:12)(cid:12)(cid:12) (cid:16) 2 p ((cid:17)1) 2in+2tesrtparteeteids ainsttimheat3eαlyBroeslea-tceodndtoentshaete0s+2tatseta.te which is Here a2 = 0.43 fm2 is taken as the finite proton size, p Wenowmakeastudyofthesensitivityoftheinelastic which is the same as adopted in Ref. [3] and j (qr) is J form factor with respect to some theoretical ingredients the J-th order spherical Bessel function. The transition of our theory. A quantity of prime interest is the spatial density ρJ(J,0)1(r) is given as, extention of the Hoyle state which is predicted from our studies to have a volume 3 to 4 times as large as the ρ(J) (r)=hΨJM | 12 δ(r−r )|ΨJ=0i/Y∗ (r), (2) one of the ground state of 12C. We therefore repeated J,01 λ=k i λ=1 JM the calculationofthe inelastic formfactor invaryingthe X i=1 b sizeparameteroftheHoylestate. Thecalculationcanbe where the ground and Hoyle states can be obtained by done as shown in Ref. [2] by adopting as the Hoyle state solving the following Hill-Wheeler equation, the wave function, Ψ⊥(β) ≡ P⊥ΦN3α,J=0(β), where P⊥ is defined as the projection operator onto the orthogonal ΦN3α,J=0(β) (H −E) ΦN3α,J=0(β′) fλJ=0(β′)=0. space to the ground state: b b b Xβ′ (cid:10) (cid:12) (cid:12) (cid:11) b (cid:12) (cid:12)b (3) P⊥ ≡1−|ΨJλ==10ihΨJλ==10|. (5) ΨJλ=0 = fλJ=0(β)ΦN3α,J=0(β). (4) Heretheparambeterβcorrespondstothespatialexten- Xβ tionofthe alphacondensate. InFIG.3,the formfactors b 2 TABLE I: Numerical values of elastic (upperrow) and inelastic (lower row) form factors in 12C. q [fm−1] 0.25 0.50 0.75 1.00 1.25 1.50 1.75 2.00 2.25 2.50 2.75 3.00 |F(q)0+→0+|(×10−1) 9.4 7.7 5.5 3.3 1.6 0.56 0.030 0.15 0.16 0.11 0.065 0.033 1 1 |F(q)0+→0+|(×10−2) 0.98 3.3 5.2 5.5 4.3 2.5 0.96 0.069 0.27 0.29 0.20 0.11 1 2 1.0 elastic form factor 10−2 10−1 RGM 10−3 01+ → 22+ 10−2 condensed w.f. 10−4 10−3 2 10−4 2 10−5 )| )| q q (F10−5 (F10−6 | | 10−6 10−7 10−7 10−8 10−9 0 5 10 15 0 5 10 15 q2 [fm−2] q2 [fm−2] (a) (a) 10−2 (×10−2) 01+ → 02+(RGM) 3.5 01+ → 22+ 10−3 01+ → 02+ 3.0 10−4 2.5 10−5 2 )q| )q| 2.0 (F10−6 (F | | 1.5 10−7 1.0 10−8 0.5 10−9 0 5 10 15 0 1 2 3 4 q2 [fm−2] q [fm−1] (b) (b) FIG. 1: (Color online) (a): Experimental values of elastic FIG.2: (a): Theoreticalpredictionofinelasticformfactorto form factor in 12Carecompared with ourvaluesobtainedby the 2+ state of 12C using the wave function of [7]. (b): The 2 solving the Hill-Wheeler equation Eq. (3) for ΨJ=0. The re- formfactorshownin(a)isplottedasafunctionofq inlinear λ=1 sult given in Ref. [3] using resonating group method (RGM) scale for ordinate. is also shown. (b): Experimentalvalues ofinelastic form fac- tor in 12C to the Hoyle state are compared with our values obtained by using the Hoyle state wave function ΨJ=0 and λ=2 from the ground state to the Hoyle state calculated at those given in Ref. [3] (RGM). The experimental values are taken from Ref[6]. several β = (βx,βy,βz) values are shown. Short-hand notations β = β = β = β and β := (β = β ,β ) = x y z 1 x y z (5.27fm,1.37fm)[10]areusedhereandinthefollowing. The corresponding r.m.s. radii are shown in parenthe- 3 2.5 R0=3.78 fm HW ) δ=(R−R0)/R0 10−2 ββ==23..6796((33..0586)) 2()q|exp 2.0 max(|F(q)|2exp)=3.β0=×21.06−93(R=3.08fm) 10−3 β→1 (3.78) (x|F 1.5 β=3.76(R=3.56fm) a 10−4 β=5.27(4.35) m β=5.27(R=4.35fm) )/ 2()|Fq| 1100−−65 2(()x|Fq| 01..50 β=7.3β→81((RR==35..7683ffmm)) a 10−7 m 0 10−8 −0.2 0 0.2 0.4 10−9 δ 0 5 10 15 q2 [fm−2] FIG. 4: The ratio of the value of maximum height, the- (a) ory versus experiment, for the inelastic form factor, i.e. max|F(q)|2/max|F(q)|2 ,isplottedasafunctionofδ,which exp is defined as δ = (R−R )/R . R and R are the r.m.s. 0 0 0 (×10−2) HW radii corresponding to Ψ⊥(β = βx = βy = βz) and Ψ⊥(β1), 8.0 β=2.69(3.08) respectively. Here R0 =3.78 fm. Unit of β is in fm. β=3.76(3.56) 6.0 β→1 (3.78) on the r.m.s. radius of the 0+2 state, we plot on FIG. 4 β=5.27(4.35) thevariationofthisheightwithrespecttothe sizeofthe ()Fq|4.0 Hwhoyenletshtaeter.man.sdrwaedisueseothfattheth0is+hsetiagtheticshcahnagnegsesdtr.onItgliys | 2 therefore allowed to say that the measurement of the in- 2.0 elastic form factor of α-particle condensate states allows viaourmodelwavefunctiontodeducetheradiusofsuch astate. Weshouldnotethatthe wavefunctionofthe0+ 2 0 1 2 3 4 state ΨJλ==20 canbe describedratherwellby Ψ⊥(β) as far asreasonableβ valuesareadopted. Thesquaredoverlap q [fm−1] between ΨJλ==20 and Ψ⊥(β) amounts to 99.2% at β =β1. Due to this almost complete equivalence between both (b) wave functions, ΨJλ==20 and Ψ⊥(β1), we understand that the corresponding inelastic form factors obtained by us- ing both wave functions, i.e. denoted by HW and β in 1 FIG. 3: (Color online) (a): The inelastic form factors to the FIG.3,almostcompletelyagreewithoneanother. Asfor Hoylestateareplottedasafunctionofq2. Thewavefunction theotherchoicesofβ,Ψ⊥(β)alsohasareasonablylarge Ψ⊥(β) is adopted as the Hoyle state, the size of which is amountofsquaredoverlapwithΨJ=0,i.e. 64.4%,90.1%, λ=2 artificially changedbyvaryingthevaluesoftheparameterβ. and 81.8% at β =2.69 fm, 3.76 fm, and 5.27 fm, respec- β is defined as β ≡ βx = βy = βz and β1 denotes (βx = tively. It should be emphasized that the fact that the βy,βz) = (5.27 fm,1.37 fm) [10]. The result using the wave wavefunctionΨ⊥(β)whichisparametrizedbyβ ismore functions of ground and Hoyle states which are obtained by or less a good approximation of the 0+ state guarantees solvingtheHill-WheelerequationisdenotedbyHW.(b): The 2 the validity of the above discussion of size dependence. form factors shown in (a) are replotted as a function of q in We can analyze the reason for these features of the linear scale for ordinate. The r.m.s. radii corresponding to Ψ⊥(β) are shown in parentheses. Units of all numbersare in form factor in the following simple way. In FIG. 5 we fm. show the transition density r2ρ(0) (r) for different val- 0201 ues of β. Due to the orthogonality between ΨJ=0 and λ=1 ses. We see that the overall structure of the form factor P⊥ΦN3α,J=0(β) one has the relation 0∞r2ρ(002)01(r)dr = 0. is not very much affected by artificially changing the ra- Wbebnote that the position of the nRode of r2ρ(002)01(r) at dius of the Hoyle state, i.e. for instance the position of r ≈ 2.5 fm and the point where this transition density the minimum is only changed in very slight proportions. drops approximately to zero, i.e. at r ≈ 6.0 fm, do not However,we can see that the amplitude decreasesas the dependonthe variousvaluesofβ. Alsothe featureofan r.m.s radius of the 0+ state increases. In order to see approximate odd function around the nodal point holds 2 how sensitively the height of the firstmaximum depends forallβ-values. Itclearlycanbe concludedthat one can 4 approximately write 10−2 ρ(002)01(r)≈f(β)ρ˜(002)01(r), (6) 10−3 (01+)th → (03+)th where f(β) ≥ 0 is independent of r and a decreasing 10−4 functionofβ, whereasρ˜(0) (r) isindependent ofβ. This means that the form fac0t2o0r1F(q) just changes amplitude 2 10−5 )| but not shape when the size of the Hoyle state is varied. (Fq 10−6 This analysis is completely consistent with the features | seen in FIG. 3. 10−7 0.30 β=3.76(3.56) 10−8 β→ (3.78) 10−9 1 0 5 10 15 0.15 β=5.27(4.35) q2 [fm−2] 1) β=7.38(5.63) − m (a) f ( ) 0 r ( ρ(0)00,21 (×10−2) 2r−0.15 2.5 (01+)th → (03+)th 2.0 −0.30 1.5 0 2 4 6 )q| (F r (fm) | 1.0 0.5 FIG.5: (Coloronline)TransitiondensitiesdefinedinEq.(2) multiplied byr2,i.e. r2ρ(0) (r),correspondingtowavefunc- gtiiovnens Ψby⊥((ββ)xw=itβhyd,βiffze)r=en02t(051β.2(7=fβmx,1=.3β7yfm=)β[z1)0]v.alTuhese.rβ.m1.sis. 0 1 q 2[fm−1] 3 4 radiicorrespondingtoΨ⊥(β)areshowninparentheses. Units of all numbersare in fm. (b) On these grounds we also want to make a prediction of the inelastic form factor to the α-condensate state in FIG.6: (a): Inelasticformfactorin16Otothe4αcondensate 16O. In FIG. 6 we show this form factor calculated with state as obtained from the wave function corresponding to the α-particle condensate wave function for 16O deter- the third eigen energy state in Ref. [1]. (b): The form factor minedpreviously[1]. Thislatterstateisactuallythe3rd shown in (a) is plotted as a function of q in linear scale for 0+ stateofourcalculationwhoseenergyisatE0+ =14.1 ordinate. 3 MeV.Weseethattheinelasticformfactorfor16Oresem- bles very much in its structure the one of 12C. The posi- tions of minimum and maximum are almost unchanged, agreement may be a pure coincidence and more experi- while the height of the first maximum is relatively sup- mental evidences are needed. pressed compared to the case of 12C. A candidate of the The experimental determination of the corresponding 4αcondensatestatemayhavebeenobservedat13.5MeV form factor would be highly welcome and an eventual with an alpha decay width of 0.8 MeV [11]. This new agreement with our calculated result, we think, a clear state is the 5th 0+ state experimentally, corresponding indication of the dilute α-particle structure of the corre- tothe 3rd0+ stateofourcalculation. Anargumentthat sponding 0+ state in 16O. in 16O the α-condensate state is around 13.5 MeV could In conclusion, we showedthat, without adjustable pa- goasfollows: Itiswellknownthatthesecond0+ statein rameters, our proposed condensate wave function for al- 16Oat6.06MeVhasastructureofanα-particleorbiting pha particles [1] nicely reproduces the experimental in- inanS-wavearoundan12C-core[9,12,13]. Excitingthis elastic form factor 0+ → 0+ in 12C. Together with its 1 2 12C-coretothe Hoylestate wefindthe excitationenergy highsensitivityonthemagnitudeoftheHoylestatewith 7.65MeV+6.06MeV=13.71MeV.Ofcourse,thisclose respect to its size and the reproduction of other experi- 5 mentaldata[1,14],webelievethatthealmostidealBose terAspectssponsoredbyInstituteofPhysicalandChem- condensatenatureoftheHoylestateisnowfirmlyestab- icalResearch(RIKEN),andissupportedbytheMinistry lished. We also made predictions for the inelastic form of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology factor to the 2+ state in 12C which we interpreted in (MEXT),Grant-in-AidforJSPSFellows,(No.03J05511) 2 [7] as a quadrupole particle-hole excitation of the Hoyle andbytheGrant-in-Aidforthe21stCenturyCOE“Cen- state. Apredictionoftheformfactor0+ →αcondensate ter for Diversity and Universality in Physics” from the 1 statein16Oisalsopresentedanditisarguedthatanex- MEXT of Japan. This work was done as a part of perimental confirmation of this form factor undoubtedly the Japan-France Research Cooperative Program under wouldrevealthecondensatecharacterofthecorrespond- CNRS/JSPS bilateral agreement. ing state. Acknowledgements This work was partially performed in the Research Projectfor Study ofUnstable Nuclei fromNuclear Clus- [1] A.Tohsaki,H.Horiuchi,P.Schuck,andG.R¨opke,Phys. Theor. Phys. Suppl. No.68, 29 (1980); P. Descouvemont Rev.Lett. 87, 192501 (2001). and D.Baye, Phys.Rev. C 36 (1987), 54. [2] Y. Funaki, A. Tohsaki, H. Horiuchi, P. Schuck, and G. [10] The β value corresponds to a position of the minimum 1 R¨opke,Phys.Rev. C 67, 051306 (R) (2003). inFIG.2of[2].Thismayindicateastronglyoblatemin- [3] Y. Fukushima and M. Kamimura, Proc. Int. Conf. imum in contradiction with the spherical β-values em- on Nuclear Structure, Tokyo, 1977, ed. T. Marumori ployed heretovarythesize of theHoylestate. Itshould (Suppl. of J. Phys. Soc. Japan, Vol.44, 1978), p.225; M. be recognized, however, in looking at FIG. 2 of [2], that Kamimura, Nucl. Phys.A 351, 456 (1981). the minimum at β = (βx =βy,βz) =(5.7 fm,1.3 fm) is [4] T.YamadaandP.Schuck,nucl-th/0506048,appearedin extremelyshallowandconnectedbyanalmostflatvalley Eur. Phys.J. A. tothesphericalpoint.Thesquaredoverlapofbothwave [5] H.MatsumuraandY.Suzuki,Nucl.Phys.A739(2004), functions at the minimum and spherical points on the 238 valley is more than 90%. This is also underlined by the [6] I. Sick and J. S. McCarthy, Nucl. Phys. A 150 (1970) fact that the β position (cross) in FIG. 4 only is very 1 631; A. Nakada, Y. Torizuka and Y. Horikawa, Phys. little off thecontinuousline. Rev.Lett.27(1971) 745; and1102 (Erratum);P.Strehl [11] T. Wakasa, privatecommunication. and Th. H. Schucan,Phys.Lett. 27B (1968) 641. See also http://www.rcnp.osaka-u.ac.jp∼annurep/2002 [7] Y. Funaki, H. Horiuchi, A. Tohsaki, P. Schuck, and G. /sec1/wakasa2.pdf R¨opke,Euro. Phys. J. A,24 (2005), 321. [12] H.HoriuchiandK.Ikeda,Prog.Theor.Phys.40(1968), [8] M. Itoh et al., Proc. of the 8th Int. Conf. on Cluster- 277. ing Aspects of Nuclear Structure and Dynamics, Nara, [13] K.WildermuthandY.C.Tang,A UnifiedTheory of the Japan, 2003, ed. K. Ikeda, I. Tanihata and H. Horiuchi Nucleus (Vieweg, Braunschweig, Germany,1977). (Nucl.Phys. A 738 (2004), 268). [14] F. Ajzenberg-Selove,Nucl. Phys.A 248 (1975), 1. [9] For example, Y. Fujiwara, H. Horiuchi, K. Ikeda, M. Kamimura, K. Kat¯o, Y. Suzuki, and E. Uegaki, Prog.