Alpha-resonance structure in $^{11}$C studied via resonant scattering of $^{7}$Be+$α$ and $^{7}$Be($α$, $p$) reaction

Abstract

The resonance structure in $^{11}$C is particularly of interest with regard to the astrophysical $^{7}$Be($α$, $γ$) reaction, relevant at high temperature, and to the $α$-cluster structure in $^{11}$C. The measurement was to determine unknown resonance parameters for the high excited states of $^{11}$C. In particular, the $α$ decay width can be useful information to discuss $α$ cluster structure in $^{11}$C. New measurements of the $^{7}$Be+$α$ resonant scattering and the $^{7}$Be($α$, $p$)$^{10}$B reaction in inverse kinematics were performed for center-of-mass energy up to 5.5 MeV, and the resonances at excitation energies of 8.9--12.7 MeV in the compound $^{11}$C nucleus were studied. Inelastic scattering of $^{7}$Be+$α$ and the $^{7}$Be($α$, $p_1$)$^{10}$B$^*$ reaction were also studied with a simultaneous $γ$-ray measurement. The measurements were performed at the low-energy RI beam facility CRIB (CNS Radioactive Ion Beam separator) of the Center for Nuclear Study (CNS), the University of Tokyo. We obtained excitation functions of $^{7}$Be($α$, $α_0$)$^{7}$Be (elastic scattering), $^{7}$Be($α$, $α_1$)$^{7}$Be$^*$ (inelastic scattering), $^{7}$Be($α$, $p_0$)$^{10}$B, and $^{7}$Be($α$, $p_1$)$^{10}$B$^*$. Many resonances including a new one were observed and their parameters were determined by an R-matrix analysis. The resonances we observed possibly enhance the $^{7}$Be($α$, $γ$) reaction rate but in a smaller magnitude than the lower-lying resonances. A new negative-parity cluster band, similar to the one previously suggested in the mirror nucleus $^{11}$B, is proposed.