Asymptotic estimates of the decay widths of quasistationary states

A new integral formalism for calculating the decay widths of quasistationary states is constructed without recourse to the assumption that a barrier-penetrability factor is small. The method of steepest descent is used to obtain asymptotic expressions for the widths of short-lived quasistationary states. On the basis of these expressions, the widths of Pb nuclei and of baryon and dibaryon resonances are calculated within a unified approach. The theory is shown to be in fairly good agreement with experimental data. A natural explanation is given for the smallness of the widths of low-lying resonances