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arXiv · 1303.2617

Study of two-neutron radioactivity in the decay of 26O

Z. Kohley·T. Baumann·D. Bazin·G. Christian·P. A. DeYoung·J. E. Finck·N. Frank·M. Jones·E. Lunderberg·S. Mosby·T. Nagi·J. K. Smith·J. Snyder·A. Spyrou·M. Thoennessen
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Abstract

A new technique was developed to measure the lifetimes of neutron unbound nuclei in the picosecond range. The decay of 26O -> 24O+n+n was examined as it had been predicted to have an appreciable lifetime due to the unique structure of the neutron-rich oxygen isotopes. The half-life of 26O was extracted as 4.5^{+1.1}_{-1.5}(stat.) +/- 3 (sys.) ps. This corresponds to 26O having a finite lifetime at an 82% confidence level and, thus, suggests the possibility of two-neutron radioactivity.

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Z. Kohley, T. Baumann, D. Bazin, G. Christian, P. A. DeYoung, J. E. Finck, N. Frank, M. Jones, E. Lunderberg, S. Mosby, T. Nagi, J. K. Smith, J. Snyder, A. Spyrou, M. Thoennessen. 2013-03-11. Study of two-neutron radioactivity in the decay of 26O. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.110.152501

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