By U.S. Department of Energy January 2, 2024Researchers have unwinded the complex structure of the carbon-12 nucleus, revealing that its lower energy states consist of clusters forming triangular shapes. Credit: Shihang ShenThe Hoyle State: A Window into Stellar Carbon ProductionOne widely known nuclear state of carbon-12 is the Hoyle state. Researchers from the University of Bonn, Forschungszentrum Jülich in Germany, the Gaziantep Islamic Science and Technology University in Turkey, the Graduate School of China Academy of Engineering Physics, Tbilisi State University, and the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams at Michigan State University determined the structure of the nuclear states of carbon-12 utilizing the ab initio framework of nuclear lattice effective field theory.Carbon-12s Geometric Mysteries and Cosmic OriginsThe research study discovered that all the low-lying states of carbon-12 have an intrinsic shape composed of 3 alpha clusters forming either an obtuse triangle or an equilateral triangle. The states with the equilateral triangle shape also have a dual description in terms of particle-hole excitations in a mean-field picture.The results agree with experimental data and supply the first model-independent density map of the nuclear states of carbon-12.
By U.S. Department of Energy January 2, 2024Researchers have unraveled the intricate structure of the carbon-12 nucleus, revealing that its lower energy states consist of clusters forming triangular shapes. This discovery by a worldwide cooperation enhances our understanding of carbons development in the Universe and aligns with existing experimental data. Credit: SciTechDaily.comAn worldwide research study has actually revealed the triangular cluster structures within the carbon-12 nucleus, providing essential insights into the origins and abundance of carbon in the Universe.Carbon-12: Key to Organic Chemistry and LifeThe element carbon is critical to organic chemistry and life as we understand it. The physics of its most typical isotope, carbon-12, are incredibly complicated. Numerous experimental and theoretical examinations have actually been dedicated to identifying the energies and underlying structures of the nuclear states of carbon-12. In this work, scientists computed these states from very first concepts– one of the most basic elements of physics theory. The technique used supercomputers and nuclear lattice simulations to compute the three-dimensional shape formed by the protons and neutrons making up the nucleus. The results reveal that all of the low-lying energy states of carbon-12 have a foundation where the 6 protons and six neutrons cluster together into alpha particles. Alpha particles are helium-4 nuclei, which contain 2 protons and two neutrons.Nucleon densities for several low-lying states of carbon-12. Each image is identified with the spin (0 to 3), the indication under parity inversion (+ or -), and the excitation number (1 to 3). Credit: Shihang ShenThe Hoyle State: A Window into Stellar Carbon ProductionOne well-known nuclear state of carbon-12 is the Hoyle state. This state has an energy that sits near the energy limit for 3 alpha particles or helium nuclei. This energy thereby greatly improves the production of carbon in helium-burning stars. This assists to describe the existence of carbon in the Universe.The results acquired in this research study show that the Hoyle state is made up of a “bent arm” or obtuse triangular plan of alpha particles. All the low-lying energy states of carbon-12 have an intrinsic shape composed of 3 alpha particles forming either an equilateral triangle or an obtuse triangle. The new outcomes give information about the possible geometrical shapes of nuclear states.Global Collaboration Unveils Carbon-12s Nuclear StructureThe carbon atom offers the foundation for the complex organic chemistry composing the structure blocks of life. The physics of the carbon nucleus in its predominant isotope, carbon-12, are likewise filled with intricacy. Researchers from the University of Bonn, Forschungszentrum Jülich in Germany, the Gaziantep Islamic Science and Technology University in Turkey, the Graduate School of China Academy of Engineering Physics, Tbilisi State University, and the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams at Michigan State University determined the structure of the nuclear states of carbon-12 utilizing the ab initio structure of nuclear lattice effective field theory.Carbon-12s Geometric Mysteries and Cosmic OriginsThe research study discovered that all the low-lying states of carbon-12 have an intrinsic shape composed of three alpha clusters forming either an obtuse triangle or an equilateral triangle. The states with the equilateral triangle shape likewise have a double description in terms of particle-hole excitations in a mean-field picture.The results agree with experimental data and provide the first model-independent density map of the nuclear states of carbon-12. The outcomes help to discuss the origins of carbon from the helium and hydrogen that comprised the Universe soon after the Big Bang.Reference: “Emergent geometry and duality in the carbon nucleus” by Shihang Shen, Serdar Elhatisari, Timo A. Lähde, Dean Lee, Bing-Nan Lu and Ulf-G. Meißner, 15 May 2023, Nature Communications.DOI: 10.1038/ s41467-023-38391-yThis research was moneyed by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (the German Research Foundation), the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Chinese Academy of Sciences Presidents International Fellowship Initiative, the National Security Academic Fund of China, Volkswagen Stiftung, the European Research Council, the Department of Energy, and the Nuclear Computational Low-Energy Initiative SciDAC-4 job, in addition to computational resources offered by the Gauss Centre for Supercomputing e.V. and the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility.
