Excited states in the 158Eu nucleus have been determined with the 160Gd(d, alpha)158Eu reaction, studied at an incident energy of 18.0 MeV with the Munich tandem and the Q3D spectrograph. More than 50 excited states have been determined up to 1.6 MeV excitation, some of them corresponding to states previously observed in the beta-decay of 158Sm. The number of levels found in this nucleus at low excitation energies follows the systematic trend of the level densities in the other isotopes with mass 152-156.
The energy spectra of alpha particles have been measured in coincidence with the evaporation residues for the decay of the compound nucleus $^31$P produced in the reaction $^19$F (96 MeV) + $^12$C. The data have been compared with the predictions of the statistical model code CASCADE. It has been observed that significant deformation effect in the compound nucleus need to be considered in order to explain the shape of the evaporated alpha particle energy spectra.
The structure of the 18O nucleus at excitation energies above the alpha decay threshold was studied using 14C+alpha resonance elastic scattering. A number of states with large alpha reduced widths have been observed, indicating that the alpha-cluster degree of freedom plays an important role in this N not equal Z nucleus. However, the alpha-cluster structure of this nucleus is very different from the relatively simple pattern of strong alpha-cluster quasi-rotational bands in the neighboring 16O and 20Ne nuclei. A 0+ state with an alpha reduced width exceeding the single particle limit was iden…
The method used to investigate the cluster structures of excited states for the light nuclei He, Li and Be in three-body photodisintegration processes is described. As an application we present the experimental program on the Yerevan synchrotron for the photodisintegration of 7Li target, the production and decay of the 6He isotope and the study of the two-cluster (tritons) structures of excited states. In particular, the properties of the detectors used in the setup, as well as the precision and simulation of the measured values are presented.
Spectra of coincident charged particles from the reactions induced by a 52 MeV 7Li beam incident on a beryllium target were measured. Strong contributions of the 7Li quasi-free scattering off the alpha-cluster in 9Be nucleus were observed. This observation supports the conclusions from the study of complete fusion of weakly bound light nuclei at low energies that the "fragility" of the nuclei makes their fusion less probable.
An experimental program for the study of the cluster structures of excited states for the light nuclei of He, Li and Be in three-body photodisintegration processes is proposed. The investigations will be realized with 6Li, 7Li and 9Be targets in seven photodisintegration reactions. As an application, the photodisintegration of 7Li nuclei into the (t+t+p) final state with excitation and decay of neutron-rich 6He nucleus into the (t+t) channel is considered. The full Monte-Carlo simulation of the experiment is done with a special impact on the study of experimental setup performance, concerning …
Cross sections for the 168Yb(alpha,gamma)172Hf and 168Yb(alpha,n)171$Hf reactions were measured by means of the activation method using alpha particles with energies between 12.9 MeV and 15.1 MeV. The spectroscopy of the gamma rays emitted by the reaction products was performed using three different HPGe detector types, namely clover-type high-purity germanium detectors, a low-energy photon spectrometer detector, and a coaxial high-purity germanium detector. The results were compared to Hauser-Feshbach statistical model calculations. Within certain assumptions, astrophysical conclusions could …
[Background] Alpha-nucleus optical potentials are basic ingredients of statistical model calculations used in nucleosynthesis simulations. While the nucleon+nucleus optical potential is fairly well known, for the alpha+nucleus optical potential several different parameter sets exist and large deviations, reaching sometimes even an order of magnitude, are found between the cross section predictions calculated using different parameter sets. [Purpose] A measurement of the radiative alpha-capture and the alpha-induced reaction cross sections on the nucleus 115In at low energies allows a stringent…
High precision angular distribution data of ($α$,$α$) elastic scattering are presented for the nuclei $^{89}$Y, $^{92}$Mo, $^{106,110,116}$Cd, $^{112,124}$Sn, and $^{144}$Sm at energies around the Coulomb barrier. Such data with small experimental uncertainties over the full angular range (20-170 degrees) are the indispensable prerequisite for the extraction of local optical potentials and for the determination of the total reaction cross section $σ_{\rm{reac}}$. A systematic fitting procedure was applied to the presented experimental scattering data to obtain comprehensive local potential par…
The total reaction cross section $σ_{\rm{reac}}$ is a valuable measure for the prediction of $α$-induced reaction cross sections within the statistical model and for the comparison of scattering of tightly bound projectiles to weakly bound and exotic projectiles. Here we provide the total reaction cross sections $σ_{\rm{reac}}$ derived from our previously published angular distributions of $α$-elastic scattering on $^{89}$Y, $^{92}$Mo, $^{112,124}$Sn, and $^{144}$Sm at energies around the Coulomb barrier.
Studies of the 16O(9Be,alpha7Be)14C and 7Li(9Be,alpha7Li)5He reactions at E{beam}=70 MeV have been performed using resonant particle spectroscopy techniques. The 11C excited states decaying into alpha+7Be(gs) are observed at 8.65, 9.85, 10.7 and 12.1 MeV as well as possible states at 12.6 and 13.4 MeV. This result is the first observation of alpha-decay for excited states above 9 MeV. The alpha+7Li(gs) decay of 11B excited states at 9.2, 10.3, 10.55, 11.2, (11.4), 11.8, 12.5,(13.0), 13.1, (14.0), 14.35, (17.4) and (18.6) MeV is observed. The decay processes are used to indicate the possible th…
The fragmentation of quasi-projectiles from the nuclear reaction 40Ca + 12C at 25 MeV/nucleon was used to produce alpha-emission sources. From a careful selection of these sources provided by a complete detection and from comparisons with models of sequential and simultaneous decays, strong indications in favour of $α$-particle clustering in excited 16O, 20Ne and 24}Mg are reported.
In the model calculations of heavy element nucleosynthesis processes the nuclear reaction rates are taken from statistical model calculations which utilize various nuclear input parameters. It is found that in the case of reactions involving alpha particles the calculations bear a high uncertainty owing to the largely unknown low energy alpha-nucleus optical potential. Experiments are typically restricted to higher energies and therefore no direct astrophysical consequences can be drawn. In the present work a (p,alpha) reaction is used for the first time to study the alpha-nucleus optical pote…
A search for alpha and double beta decays of ytterbium isotopes was performed with an ultra-low background high purity germanium detector at Gran Sasso Underground Laboratory (Italy). A 194.7 g Yb$_2$(C$_2$O$_4$)$_3$ powder sample was measured for 11.3~d with a total Yb exposure of 1.25 kg$\times$d. Half-life limits for $α$-decay modes of $^{168}$Yb, $^{170}$Yb, $^{171}$Yb, $^{172}$Yb, $^{173}$Yb, $^{174}$Yb and $^{176}$Yb into the first excited states have been obtained between $6\times10^{14}$ yr and $2\times10^{16}$ yr. These are the first experimental constraints of these decay modes. Doub…
The fragmentation of quasi-projectiles from the nuclear reaction $^{40}$Ca+$^{12}$C at 25 MeV per nucleon bombarding energy was used to produce $α$-emission sources. From a careful selection of these sources provided by a complete detection and from comparisons with models of sequential and simultaneous decays, evidence in favor of $α$-particle clustering from excited $^{16}O$, $^{20}Ne$ and $^{24}Mg$ is reported.
The suggestion is made that the excited state of the $^3 H$ nucleus found out recently in the reaction $H$ ($^6 He$,$α$) ({\it Pis'ma JETPh\/} {\bf 59} (1994) 301) has spin and parity $1/2^+$ and the same configuration that the ground one of $^6 He$. An amplitude of electromagnetic transition to the triton ground state is strongly suppressed, therefore the excited state cannot be detected in radiative capture of neutrons by deuterons. It is shown that in an elastic nd-scattering a resonance associated with the exited state may be absent due to the destructive interference of potential and reso…
The fragmentation of quasi-projectiles from the nuclear reaction $^{40}Ca$+$^{12}C$ at 25 MeV/nucleon was used to produce excited states candidates to $α$-particle condensation. The methodology relies on high granularity 4$π$ detection coupled to correlation function techniques. Under the assumption that the equality among the kinetic energies of the emitted $α$-particles and the emission simultaneity constitutes a reliable fingerprint of $α$ condensation, we identify several tens of events corresponding to the deexcitation of the Hoyle state of $^{12}$C which fulfill the condition.
The properties of the relativistic alpha fragments produced in interactions of 84^Kr at around 1 A GeV in nuclear emulsion are investigated. The experimental results are compared with the similar results obtained from various projectiles with emulsion interactions at different energies. The total, partial nuclear cross-sections and production rates of alpha fragmentation channels in relativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions and their dependence on the mass number and initial energy of the incident projectile nucleus are investigated. The yields of multiple alpha fragments emitted from the intera…
The alpha decays of naturally occurring platinum isotopes, which are accompanied by the emission of gamma quanta, have been searched for deep underground (3600 m w.e.) in the Gran Sasso National Laboratories of the INFN (Italy). A sample of Pt with mass of 42.5 g and a natural isotopic composition has been measured with a low background HP Ge detector (468 cm^3) during 1815 h. The alpha decay of 190-Pt to the first excited level of 186-Os (J^π= 2^+, E_{exc}=137.2 keV) has been observed for the first time, with the half-life determined as: T_{1/2} = 2.6_{-0.3}^{+0.4} (stat.) \pm 0.6 (syst.) \ti…
Alpha elastic scattering angular distributions of the 106Cd(alpha,alpha)106Cd reaction were measured at three energies around the Coulomb barrier to provide a sensitive test for the alpha + nucleus optical potential parameter sets. Furthermore, the new high precision angular distributions, together with the data available from the literature were used to study the energy dependence of the locally optimized α+nucleus optical potential in a wide energy region ranging from E_Lab = 27.0 MeV down to 16.1 MeV. The potentials under study are a basic prerequisite for the prediction of alpha-induced re…
We investigate ultrarelativistic collisions of the 12C nucleus with heavy targets and show that the harmonic flow measures based on ratios of cumulant moments are particularly suited to study the intrinsic deformation of the 12C wave function. That way one can probe the expected alpha clusterization in the ground state, which leads to large initial triangularity in the shape of the fireball in the transverse plane. We show that the clusterization effect results in very characteristic behavior of the ratios of the cumulant moments as functions of the number of participant nucleons, both for the…
The structure of the nucleus 25F was investigated through in-beam γ-ray spectroscopy of the fragmentation of 26Ne and 27,28Na ion beams. Based on the particle-γ and particle-γγ coincidence data, a level scheme was constructed and compared with shell model and coupled-cluster calculations. Some of the observed states were interpreted as quasi single-particle states built on top of the closed-shell nucleus 24O, while the others were described as states arising from coupling of a single proton to the 2+ core excitation of 24O.
Starting from experimental studies on alpha-clustering in excited self-conjugate nuclei (from $^{16}$O to $^{28}$Si), temperature and density conditions for such a clustering are determined. Measured temperatures have been found in the range of 5.5 - 6.0 MeV whereas density values of 0.3 - 0.4 times the saturation density are deduced, i.e., 0.046 to 0.062 $fm^{-3}$. Such a density domain is also predicted by constrained self-consistent mean field calculations. These results constitute a benchmark for alpha clustering from self-conjugate nuclei in relation to descriptions of stellar evolution a…
The neutron-deficient nucleus 173Hg has been studied following fusion-evaporation reactions. The observation of gamma rays decaying from excited states are reported for the first time and a tentative level scheme is proposed. The proposed level scheme is discussed within the context of the systematics of neighbouring neutron-deficient Hg nuclei. In addition to the gamma-ray spectroscopy, the alpha decay of this nucleus has been measured yielding superior precision to earlier measurements.
Population of a number of excited levels of 51V and 57Fe has been determined from the data of the ENDSF file up to the excitation energy of about 7 and 5.2 MeV, respectively. It cannot be reproduced in the region of their maximal energies in the framework of assumption on the independence of partial radiative widths on the structure of decaying level and excited one, at least, lower than 0.5Bn. Therefore, it is impossible to estimate the actual degree of reliability of data on the level density and radiative widths of cascade gamma-transitions in light spherical nuclei obtained from the spectr…
We argue that relativistic nuclear collisions may provide experimental evidence of alpha clustering in light nuclei. A light alpha-clustered nucleus has a large intrinsic deformation. When collided against a heavy nucleus at very high energies, this deformation transforms into the deformation of the fireball in the transverse plane. The subsequent collective evolution of the fireball leads to harmonic flow reflecting the deformation of the initial shape, which can be measured with standard methods of relativistic heavy-ion collisions. We illustrate the feasibility of the idea by modeling the 1…
Alpha from natural radioactivity may interact with a nucleus and emit a neutron. The reaction introduces background to the liquid scintillator (LS) based neutrino experiments. In the LS detector, alpha comes from 238U, 232Th and 210Po decay chains. For Gadolinium-doped LS (Gd-LS) detector, alpha also comes from 227Ac. The nucleus 13C is a natural component of Carbon which is rich in the LS. The background rate and spectrum should be subtracted carefully from the neutrino candidates. This paper describes the calculation of neutron yield and spectrum with uncertainty estimated. The results are r…
Different models for the nonlocal description of the nuclear interaction are compared through a study of their effects on the half-lives of radioactive nuclei decaying by the emission of alpha particles. The half-lives are evaluated by considering a pre-formed alpha particle ($^4$He nucleus) which tunnels through the Coulomb barrier generated by its interaction with the daughter nucleus. An effective potential obtained from a density dependent double folding strong potential between the alpha and the daughter nucleus within the nonlocal framework is found to decrease the half-lives as compared…
Nuclear reactions involving alpha particles play an important role in various astrophysical processes such as the gamma-process of heavy element nucleosynthesis. The poorly known low-energy alpha-nucleus optical (AOMP) potential is a key parameter to estimate the rates of these reactions. The AOMP can be tested by measuring the cross section of alpha-scattering as well as alpha-induced reactions. Low energy elastic alpha-scattering on 144Sm has recently been measured with high precision. The aim of the present work was to complement that work by measuring the (a,n) cross sections on 144Sm at l…
A new method has been considered to investigate the scattering reactions with photons on fully ionized nuclei. To induce $γ$-nucleus collisions a free electron laser and a heavy ion synchrotron have been considered bringing them together. Main parameters of the collider (especially LHC and HERA for the acceleration of nuclei) have been estimated. Rough calculations have also been made for the cross sections of the excited nuclei production. Finally, some design problems involving the collider have been considered.
The decay properties of the ground state and excited states of $^{257}$Rf have been investigated with the detector array GABRIELA at the FLNR, Dubna. The electromagnetic decay of a new excited state in $^{253}$No has been observed. The state lies 750 keV above the ground state and is favourably populated in the alpha decay of the low-lying spin isomer of $^{257}$Rf. It decays to the 9/2$^-$ ground state by an M1 transition and is assigned the 11/2$^-$[725] Nilsson configuration. The presence of this state suggests a possible reinterpretation of the decay of the high-K isomer in $^{253}$No.
Captures of alpha particles on the proton-richest Barium isotope, 130Ba, have been studied in order to provide cross section data for the modeling of the astrophysical gamma process. The cross sections of the 130Ba(alpha,gamma)134Ce and 130Ba(alpha,n)133Ce reactions have been measured with the activation technique in the center-of mass energy range between 11.6 and 16 MeV, close above the astrophysically relevant energies. As a side result, the cross section of the 132Ba(alpha,n)135Ce reaction has also been measured. The results are compared with the prediction of statistical model calculation…
Identification of alpha cluster states analogous to the 12C Hoyle state in heavier alpha- conjugate nuclei can provide tests of the existence of alpha condensates in nuclei. Such states are predicted for 16O, 20Ne, 24Mg, 28Si etc. at excitation energies slightly above the multi-alpha particle decay threshold, but have not yet been experimentally identified. The Thick Target Inverse Kinematics (TTIK) technique can be used to study the breakup of excited self-conjugate nuclei into many alpha particles. The reaction 20Ne+α was studied using a 20Ne beam at 12 MeV/nucleon from the K150 cyclotron at…
Borromean nuclear cluster structures are expected at the corresponding driplines. We locate the regions in the nuclear chart with the most promising constituents, it being protons and alpha-particles and investigate in details the properties of the possible borromean two-alpha systems in medium heavy nuclei. We find in all cases that the alpha-particles are located at the surface of the core-nucleus as dictated by Coulomb and centrifugal barriers. The two lowest three-body bound states resemble a slightly contracted $^{8}\text{Be}$ nucleus outside the core. The next two excited states have mor…
We have observed beta+-delayed alpha and p-alpha emission from the proton-rich nucleus 21Mg produced at the ISOLDE facility at CERN. The assignments were cross-checked with a time distribution analysis. This is the third identified case of beta-p-alpha emission. We discuss the systematic of beta-delayed particle emission decays, show that our observed decays fit naturally into the existing pattern, and argue that the patterns are to a large extent caused by odd-even effects.
A superdeformed (SD) band has been identified in a non - alpha - conjugate nucleus 35Cl. It crosses the negative parity ground band above 11/2- and becomes the yrast at 15/2-. Lifetimes of all relevant states have been measured to follow the evolution of collectivity. Enhanced B(E2), B(E1) values as well as energetics provide evidences for superdeformation and existence of parity doublet cluster structure in an odd-A nucleus for the first time in A = 40 region. Large scale shell model calculations assign (sd)16(pf)3 as the origin of these states. Calculated spectroscopic factors correlate the …
The properties of the alpha+28Si and 16O+16O molecular states which are embedded in the excited states of 32S and can have an impact on the stellar reactions are investigated using the antisymmetrized molecular dynamics. From the analysis of the cluster spectroscopic factors, the candidates of alpha+28Si and 16O+16O molecular states are identified close to and above the cluster threshold energies. The calculated properties of the alpha+28Si molecular states are consistent with those reported by the alpha+28Siresonant scattering experiments. On the other hand, the 16O+16O molecular state, which…
The current status of the experimental searches for rare alpha and beta decays is reviewed. Several interesting observations of alpha and beta decays, previously unseen due to their large half-lives ($10^{15} - 10^{20}$ yr), have been achieved during the last years thanks to the improvements in the experimental techniques and to the underground locations of experiments that allows to suppress backgrounds. In particular, the list includes first observations of alpha decays of $^{151}$Eu, $^{180}$W (both to the ground state of the daughter nuclei), $^{190}$Pt (to excited state of the daughter nu…
The spectroscopic studies have identified few Actinide and Lanthanide nuclei of the periodic table, which can assume the pear shape. The low frequency collective rotation of these nuclei has been established by determining the band structure of the excited levels and their gamma decay rates. In this article, we report the rotation of a pear-shaped nucleus in 100 Ru, which rotates nearly three times faster than the previously known cases. The three novel consequences of this fast rotation are: the realization of a pear-shape in an excited state, its moment of inertia becoming a constant of moti…
Based on the Skyrme energy density functional, the spatial distribution of the symmetry energy of a finite nucleus is derived in order to examine whether the symmetry energy of a finite nucleus originates from its interior or from its surface. It is found that the surface part of a heavy nucleus contributes dominantly to its symmetry energy compared to its inner part. The symmetry energy coefficient $a_{\text{sym}}({A})$ is then directly extracted and the ratio of the surface symmetry coefficient to the volume symmetry coefficient $κ$ is estimated. Meanwhile, with the help of experimental alph…
We study the shell and alpha cluster structures in the ground and excited states of 8Be in terms of the tensor-optimized shell model (TOSM). In TOSM, the tensor correlation is optimized in the full space of 2p2h configurations involving high-momentum components. The short-range correlation is treated with the unitary correlation operator method (UCOM). We use the effective interaction based on the bare nucleon-nucleon interaction AV8$^\prime$. The 8Be states consist of two groups of ground band states and highly excited states with the isospin T=0 and T=1. It is found that the tensor contribut…
Excited states in the deformed nucleus $^{158}$Gd have been studied in the (p,t) reaction by using the Munich Tandem and Q3D spectrograph. 30 new excited 0$^+$ states (three tentative) have been assigned up to the 4.3 MeV excitation energy. The total number of 34 excited 0$^+$ states (four tentatively assigned) in a deformed nucleus, close to a complete level scheme, offers a new opportunity to test nuclear models and obtain more information on the structure of these special states.
The $^{12}$C nucleus with $N$=6 and $Z$=6 is a doubly closed-shell nucleus in a toroidal potential. In the description of the ground state and the Hoyle state of $^{12}$C in the resonating group method or the generator coordinate method, a superposition of the orientations of Wheeler's triangular cluster on the cluster plane would naturally generate an intrinsic toroidal density. A toroidal state also has a probability amplitude to overlap with a 3-alpha cluster, which is the dominant decay mode for the Hoyle state. For these reasons, we study a toroidal description of the states of $^{12}$C i…
One of the prominent decay modes of heavy nuclei which are produced in astrophysical environments at temperatures of the order of $10^9$ K is the $α$ ($^4$He) decay. Thermally enhanced $α$ decay rates are evaluated within the standard scheme of a tunneling decay where the $α$ particle tunnels through the potential barrier formed by its interaction with the daughter nucleus. Following the observation that there exist several excited levels with the possibility of an $α$ decay when the daughter nucleus is at a shell closure, we focus in particular on decays producing daughter nuclei with the neu…
We study the ground and excited resonance states of $^{26}$O with a three-body model of $^{24}$O+n+n taking into account the coupling to the continuum. To this end, we use the new experimental data for the invariant mass spectroscopy of the unbound $^{25}$O and $^{26}$O nuclei, and present an update of three-body model calculations for the two-neutron decay of the $^{26}$O nucleus. With the new model inputs determined with the ground state decay of $^{26}$O, we discuss the di-neurtron correlations and a halo nature of this nucleus, as well as the structure of the excited states. For the energy…
Cross sections of $^{120}$Sn($α$,$α$)$^{120}$Sn elastic scattering have been extracted from the $α$ particle beam contamination of a recent $^{120}$Sn($^6$He,$^6$He)$^{120}$Sn experiment. Both reactions are analyzed using systematic double folding potentials in the real part and smoothly varying Woods-Saxon potentials in the imaginary part. The potential extracted from the $^{120}$Sn($^6$He,$^6$He)$^{120}$Sn data may be used as the basis for the construction of a simple global $^6$He optical potential. The comparison of the $^6$He and $α$ data shows that the halo nature of the $^6$He nucleus l…
For the forward going proton and $η$ meson, the coherent $η$ meson production in the $(p,p^\prime)$ reaction on the spin-isospin saturated nucleus occurs only due to the $η$ meson exchange interaction between the beam proton and nucleus. In this process, the nucleon in the nucleus can be excited to resonances $N^*$ and the $η$ meson in the final state can arise due to $N^* \to Nη$. We investigate the dynamics of resonances, including nucleon Born terms, and their interferences in the coherently added cross section of this reaction. We discuss the importance of $N(1520)$ resonance and show the …
The reaction 141Pr(alpha,n)144Pm was investigated between E_alpha=11 MeV and 15 MeV with the activation method using the gamma-gamma coincidence method with a segmented clover-type high-purity Germanium (HPGe) detector. Measurements with four other HPGe detectors were additionally made. The comparison proves that the gamma-gamma coincidence method is an excellent tool to investigate cross sections down to the microbarn range. The (alpha,n) reaction at low energy is especially suited to test alpha+nucleus optical-model potentials for application in the astrophysical p-process. The experimentall…
At the partonic level, a typical final state in small-x deep inelastic scattering off nuclei and hard proton-nucleus collisions can be characterized by the multiplicity of color-excited nucleons. Within reggeon field theory, each color-excited nucleon is associated with the unitarity cut of the pomeron exchanged between the projectile and nucleus. In this communication we derive the unitarity rules for the multiplicity of excited nucleons, alias cut pomerons, alias topological cross sections, for typical hard dijet production processes. We demonstrate how the coupled-channel non-Abelian intran…
A semi-microscopic model for the low-energy photodisintegration of the 9Be nucleus is constructed, and the experimental data are analyzed with its help. The older radioactive isotope data are supported by this analysis. The theoretical photodisintegration cross section is derived. The astrophysical rates for the reaction alpha + alpha + n -> 9Be + gamma and the reverse photodisintegration of 9Be are calculated. The new reaction rate for alpha + alpha + n -> 9Be + gamma is compared with previous estimations.
The 146Sm/144Sm ratio in the early solar system has been constrained by Nd/Sm isotope ratios in meteoritic material. Predictions of 146Sm and 144Sm production in the gamma-process in massive stars are at odds with these constraints and this is partly due to deficiences in the prediction of the reaction rates involved. The production ratio depends almost exclusively on the (gamma,n)/(gamma,alpha) branching at 148Gd. A measurement of 144Sm(alpha,gamma)148Gd at low energy had discovered considerable discrepancies between cross section predictions and the data. Although this reaction cross section…
The excited state of the 12C nucleus known as the "Hoyle state" constitutes one of the most interesting, difficult and timely challenges in nuclear physics, as it plays a key role in the production of carbon via fusion of three alpha particles in red giant stars. In this letter, we present ab initio lattice calculations which unravel the structure of the Hoyle state, along with evidence for a low-lying spin-2 rotational excitation. For the 12C ground state and the first excited spin-2 state, we find a compact triangular configuration of alpha clusters. For the Hoyle state and the second excite…
