Candidate Resonant Tetraneutron State Populated by the 4He(8He, 8Be) Reaction

Abstract:  Multi-neutron systems have long fascinated nuclear physicists and the question of their possible existence has had an erratic and inconsistent history that dates back to the early 1960’s. Several experiments have been attempted to find a bound or resonant multi-neutron state, employing methods ranging from neutron induced fission to direct transfer reactions [1]. The unique attributes of multi-neutron systems have also prompted many theoretical investigations into pure neutron-neutron interactions that may make such systems possible [2]. This presentation focuses on a recent measurement of a candidate tetraneutron state, using a missing-mass technique with a double charge exchange reaction [3]. A brief history of the multineutron system and related experiments and theoretical predictions, the details of the 4He(8He, 8Be) experiment, and the significance of such a measurement will be discussed. References: 1. F. M. Marqués et al., Phys. Rev. C 65, 044006 (2002) 2. S. C. Pieper, Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 252501 (2003) 3. K. Kisamori, Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 052501 (2016)