Perspectives on Few-Body Cluster Structures in Exotic Nuclei

It is a fascinating phenomenon in nuclear physics that states with a pronounced few-body structure can emerge from the complex dynamics of many nucleons. Such halo or cluster states often appear near the boundaries of nuclear stability. As such, they are an important part of the experimental program beginning at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB). A concerted effort of theory and experiment is necessary both to analyze experiments involving effective few-body states, as well as to constrain and refine theories of the nuclear force in light of new data from these experiments. As a contribution to exactly this effort, this paper compiles a collection of perspectives that emerged out of the Topical Program Few-body cluster structures in exotic nuclei and their role in FRIB experiments that was held at FRIB in August 2022 and brought together theorists and experimentalists working on this topic.

Automated summary

It is intriguing that distinct few-body structures can emerge from the complex dynamics of many nucleons in nuclear physics. These halo or cluster states are often observed near the boundaries of nuclear stability and play a crucial role in the experimental program at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB). A combined effort of theory and experiment is essential to analyze experiments involving few-body states and refine theories of nuclear force using new data obtained from these experiments. This paper compiles perspectives from a topical program held at FRIB in August 2022, which brought together theorists and experimentalists working on few-body cluster structures in exotic nuclei and their role in FRIB experiments.