The excited states of the “halo” nucleus, ${}^{11}\mathrm{Li}$, have been investigated by means of the pion capture reaction, ${}_{}{}^{14}{}_{}{}^{}C({\pi }^{-},pd{)}^{11}\mathrm{Li}$. Excited states have been identified at $1.02\pm 0.07$, $2.07\pm 0.12$, and $3.63\pm 0.13\mathrm{MeV}$. The continuum part of the ${}^{11}\mathrm{Li}$ missing mass spectrum is found to contain a major component which is consistent with ${}^{11}\mathrm{Li}$ breakup into one of the ${}^9\mathrm{Li}$ excited states and two strongly correlated neutrons.

• Received 22 May 1998

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.81.4325