A cluster model employing a local, effective cluster-core potential is used to investigate exotic decay from heavy nuclei as a quantum tunneling phenomenon within a semiclassical approximation. Excellent agreement with all reported experimental measurements of the decay widths for ${}_{}{}^{14}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{C}$ and ${}_{}{}^{24}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Ne}$ emission is obtained. As an added bonus, the width for alpha particle emission from ${}_{}{}^{212}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Po}$ is also calculated in good agreement with experiment.

• Received 5 October 1988

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.39.2097