Nuclear Structure and Dynamics

A clearer view of the structure of exotic lithium

A clearer view of the structure of exotic lithium: The study of the transfer of a single neutron during a nuclear reaction from the target to a rare isotope from a beam provides crucial information on the structure of the nucleus created in the reaction. While most of the nuclei studied in this way are bound, some, such as lithium-10 (10Li), are not; when formed via the d(9Li,p) reaction, 10Li breaks up promptly into 9Li and a neutron. As reported in Physical Review Letters (2017), detecting the protons and 9Li breakup products of this reaction in coincidence, TUDA experimenters have provided important new information on the much debated structure of 10Li.