Light clusters in nuclear matter

Within a quantum statistical approach, a in-medium Schroedinger equation is derived for a few-nucleon system embedded in nuclear matter. Medium modifications of the cluster quasiparticles are described by self-energy and Pauli blocking effects. Benchmarks such as the nuclear statistical equilibrium, virial expansion and the relativistic mean field approximation are considered. An interesting effect is the formation of a four- or two-nucleon quantum condensate, showing the crossover from Cooper pairing to Bose-Einstein condensation. The resulting thermodynamic properties are of interest for heavy-ion collisions and astrophysical applications. Quantum condensates and the Mott effect are also of relevance for the structure of finite nuclei, specially dilute excited states like the Hoyle state of 12C. (author)