Experimental study on the clustering of ¹⁷C

Clustering has been long known to play an important role in the structure of light nuclei. We investigate the fragmentation mechanism reflecting the cluster structure of the ¹⁷C. The breakup of the neutron-rich nuclei ¹⁷C into ⁸Li + ⁹Li has been studied using a 44 MeV/nucleon ¹⁷C beam inelastically excited by ¹²C target. The clustering structure of is reflected in its fragmentation as the dynamical cluster breakup into ⁸Li and ⁹Li, depending on the incident energy. Excited states in ¹⁷C were observed at 29.3 ± 0.1 and 34.4 ± 0.1 MeV. This result would indicate that ¹⁷C have a well-established cluster structure in the ground state. (author)