Probing α-clustering in 9Be via complete fusion and elastic scattering measurements

Abstract

The intrinsic structure of the ⁹Be nucleus has been probed by virtue of its influence on reaction dynamics in the ⁹Be+¹¹⁰Pd collision. Extensive measurements of the complete fusion excitation function have been undertaken across the Coulomb barrier, in conjunction with the measurement of the elastic scattering angular distribution at a few overlapping incident energies. A unified treatment of both processes is carried out by employing 3-body and 4-body Continuum Discretized Coupled Channels calculations, which exclusively cater to the dynamical features of the collision contingent on the low threshold for dissociation of ⁹Be into either two or three clusters. A synergy between the complete fusion and elastic scattering measurements across different incident energies is attained when the pivotal description of ⁹Be as α+α+n configuration is invoked. While the elastic scattering angular distribution is observed to be sensitive to the continuum couplings, the fusion excitation function is primarily influenced by the structure of ⁹Be in its ground state. The α+α+n picture further reveals an absence of above-barrier fusion suppression when compared with the Universal Fusion Function, in contrast to the commonly reported signature for reactions induced by the ⁹Be projectile.