Recent precision measurements of the interfering levels in ${\mathrm{Be}}^8$ at 16.6 and 16.9 MeV are in good agreement with a simple two-level formula with interference when it is properly corrected for the effects of final-state Coulomb interactions. The widths used in the formula are $\Gamma \mathrm{}\left(16.6\right)=90\mathrm{}$ keV and $\Gamma \mathrm{}\left(16.9\right)=70\mathrm{}$ keV. It is not necessary to assume that the $T=1\mathrm{}$ components of the ${\mathrm{Be}}^8$ wave functions are excited in the reactions ${\mathrm{B}}^{10}(d,\alpha ){\mathrm{Be}}^{8*}$ and ${\mathrm{Li}}^6({\mathrm{Li}}^6,\alpha ){\mathrm{Be}}^{8*}$. Using the latter reaction, it is shown that the background is too small to have an appreciable effect on the spectral shape for the two levels.

• Received 17 December 1970

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.3.2073