Search for the 3-phonon state of 40Ca

We study collective vibrational states of the nucleus: giant resonances and multiphonon states. It has been shown that multiphonon states, which are built with several superimposed giant resonances, can be excited in inelastic heavy ion scattering near the grazing angle. No three photon states have been observed until now. An experiment has been performed at GANIL, aiming at the observation of the 3-phonon state built with the giant quadrupole resonance (GQR) in 40Ca, with the reaction 40Ca + 40Ca at 50 A.Me.V. The ejectile was identified in the SPEG spectrometer. Light charged particles were detected in 240 CsI scintillators of the INDRA 4π array. The analysis confirms the previous results about the GQR and the 2-phonon state in 40Ca. For the first time, we have measured an important direct decay branch of the GQR by alpha particles. Applying the so-called 'missing energy method' to events containing three protons measured in coincidence with the ejectile, we observe a direct decay branch revealing the presence of a 3-phonon state in the excitation energy region expected for the triple GQR. Dynamical processes are also studied in the inelastic channel, emphasizing a recently discovered mechanism named towing-mode. We observe for the first time the towing-mode of alpha particles. The energies of multiphonon states in 40Ca and 208Pb have been computed microscopically including some anharmonicities via boson mapping methods. The basis of the calculation has been extended to the 3-phonon states. Our results show large anharmonicities (several MeV), due to the coupling of 3-phonon states to 2-phonon states. The extension of the basis to 4-phonon states has been performed for the first time. The inclusion of the 4 phonon states in the calculation did not affect the previous observations concerning the 2-phonon states. Preliminary results on the anharmonicities of the 3-phonon states are presented. (author)