Abstract
A new approach to the production and detection of bound neutron clusters is presented. The technique is based on the breakup of beams of very neutron-rich nuclei and the subsequent detection of the recoiling proton in a liquid scintillator. The method has been tested in the breakup of intermediate energy (30–50 MeV/nucleon) and beams. Some six events were observed that exhibit the characteristics of a multineutron cluster liberated in the breakup of most probably in the channel The various backgrounds that may mimic such a signal are discussed in detail.
- Received 27 November 2001
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.65.044006
©2002 American Physical Society