A Study of the Intermediate 5Li Ground State Produced in the 6Li(3He, αp)4He Reaction

Abstract

An experiment has been performed on alpha–proton coincidences produced by the three body reaction 6Li(3He,αp)4He, at a bombarding energy of 1.25 MeV. Events ascribed to sequential breakup via the ground state of 5Li have been isolated with the aim of measuring the angular distribution of protons derived from 5Li. Difficulties are encountered because the alpha particle spectra in coincidence with the detected protons vary significantly with the proton angle. Possible interpretations of this effect are discussed. A tentative angular distribution, based on a compromise interpretation, shows a pronounced minimum which is shifted away from the 5Li recoil direction. Similar shifts have been detected in the 7Li(d,αn)4He reaction by Heggie and Martin, who explained the directional correlation effects in terms of a compound nucleus model. This model seems to be more applicable to these reactions than models based on stripping and pickup processes.