Theory of Halo Nuclei

Abstract

Halo nuclei are characterized by a few weakly bound halo nucleons and a more tightly bound core. This separation of scales can be exploited in a few-body description of halo nuclei, since the detailed structure of the core is not resolved by the halo nucleons. We present an introduction to the effective (field) theory for low-energy properties of halo nuclei. The focus is on halos with S-wave interactions for which universal properties are most pronounced. The special role of the unitary limit is illustrated using the example of multineutron systems and the Efimov effect as a universal binding mechanism for halo nuclei. Connections to ultracold atoms and hadron physics are highlighted and extensions to higher partial waves, Coulomb forces and nuclear reactions are briefly touched upon.

Intense X-ray laser-induced proton emission from halo nuclei

“…Moreover, we only consider the simple initial state of the halo proton which is a Yukawa form. Within the framework of halo effective field theory (EFT), a more realistic initial state of the halo proton [5,6] for X-ray laser-induced proton emission is of interest and is a challenging topic worthy of further consideration.…”

“…Halo nuclei are characterized by a few weakly bound halo nucleons and a more tightly bound core [1][2][3]. Studies of the halo nuclei have provided important insights into the structure of the nucleus and understanding of nuclear force [4,5], and are still a hot research topic so far [6][7][8][9]. In general, the halo nuclei can be divided into neutron-halos and proton-halos [3].…”