Observation of a correlated free four-neutron system

M. Duer; T. Aumann; R. Gernhäuser; V. Panin; S. Paschalis; D. M. Rossi; N. L. Achouri; D. Ahn; H. Baba; C. A. Bertulani; M. Böhmer; K. Boretzky; C. Caesar; N. Chiga; A. Corsi; D. Cortina-Gil; C. A. Douma; F. Dufter; Z. Elekes; J. Feng; B. Fernández-Domínguez; U. Forsberg; N. Fukuda; I. Gasparic; Z. Ge; J. M. Gheller; J. Gibelin; A. Gillibert; K. I. Hahn; Z. Halász; M. N. Harakeh; A. Hirayama; M. Holl; N. Inabe; T. Isobe; J. Kahlbow; N. Kalantar-Nayestanaki; D. Kim; S. Kim; T. Kobayashi; Y. Kondo; D. Körper; P. Koseoglou; Y. Kubota; I. Kuti; P. J. Li; C. Lehr; S. Lindberg; Y. Liu; F. M. Marqués; S. Masuoka; M. Matsumoto; J. Mayer; K. Miki; B. Monteagudo; T. Nakamura; T. Nilsson; A. Obertelli; N. A. Orr; H. Otsu; S. Y. Park; M. Parlog; P. M. Potlog; S. Reichert; A. Revel; A. T. Saito; M. Sasano; H. Scheit; F. Schindler; S. Shimoura; H. Simon; L. Stuhl; H. Suzuki; D. Symochko; H. Takeda; J. Tanaka; Y. Togano; T. Tomai; H. T. Törnqvist; J. Tscheuschner; T. Uesaka; V. Wagner; H. Yamada; B. Yang; L. Yang; Z. H. Yang; M. Yasuda; K. Yoneda; L. Zanetti; J. Zenihiro; M. V. Zhukov

doi:10.1038/s41586-022-04827-6

Observation of a correlated free four-neutron system

M. Duer^*, T. Aumann, R. Gernhäuser, V. Panin, S. Paschalis, D. M. Rossi, N. L. Achouri, D. Ahn, H. Baba, C. A. Bertulani, M. Böhmer, K. Boretzky, C. Caesar, N. Chiga, A. Corsi, D. Cortina-Gil, C. A. Douma, F. Dufter, Z. Elekes, J. FengB. Fernández-Domínguez, U. Forsberg, N. Fukuda, I. Gasparic, Z. Ge, J. M. Gheller, J. Gibelin, A. Gillibert, K. I. Hahn, Z. Halász, M. N. Harakeh, A. Hirayama, M. Holl, N. Inabe, T. Isobe, J. Kahlbow, N. Kalantar-Nayestanaki, D. Kim, S. Kim, T. Kobayashi, Y. Kondo, D. Körper, P. Koseoglou, Y. Kubota, I. Kuti, P. J. Li, C. Lehr, S. Lindberg, Y. Liu, F. M. Marqués, S. Masuoka, M. Matsumoto, J. Mayer, K. Miki, B. Monteagudo, T. Nakamura, T. Nilsson, A. Obertelli, N. A. Orr, H. Otsu, S. Y. Park, M. Parlog, P. M. Potlog, S. Reichert, A. Revel, A. T. Saito, M. Sasano, H. Scheit, F. Schindler, S. Shimoura, H. Simon, L. Stuhl, H. Suzuki, D. Symochko, H. Takeda, J. Tanaka, Y. Togano, T. Tomai, H. T. Törnqvist, J. Tscheuschner, T. Uesaka, V. Wagner, H. Yamada, B. Yang, L. Yang, Z. H. Yang, M. Yasuda, K. Yoneda, L. Zanetti, J. Zenihiro, M. V. Zhukov

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

A long-standing question in nuclear physics is whether chargeless nuclear systems can exist. To our knowledge, only neutron stars represent near-pure neutron systems, where neutrons are squeezed together by the gravitational force to very high densities. The experimental search for isolated multi-neutron systems has been an ongoing quest for several decades¹, with a particular focus on the four-neutron system called the tetraneutron, resulting in only a few indications of its existence so far^2–4, leaving the tetraneutron an elusive nuclear system for six decades. Here we report on the observation of a resonance-like structure near threshold in the four-neutron system that is consistent with a quasi-bound tetraneutron state existing for a very short time. The measured energy and width of this state provide a key benchmark for our understanding of the nuclear force. The use of an experimental approach based on a knockout reaction at large momentum transfer with a radioactive high-energy ⁸He beam was key.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	678-682
Number of pages	5
Journal	Nature
Volume	606
Issue number	7915
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-04827-6
State	Published - 23 Jun 2022
Externally published	Yes

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10.1038/s41586-022-04827-6

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Duer, M., Aumann, T., Gernhäuser, R., Panin, V., Paschalis, S., Rossi, D. M., Achouri, N. L., Ahn, D., Baba, H., Bertulani, C. A., Böhmer, M., Boretzky, K., Caesar, C., Chiga, N., Corsi, A., Cortina-Gil, D., Douma, C. A., Dufter, F., Elekes, Z., ... Zhukov, M. V. (2022). Observation of a correlated free four-neutron system. Nature, 606(7915), 678-682. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-04827-6

@article{d47ea00b659d4ac08d52481bb438c988,

title = "Observation of a correlated free four-neutron system",

abstract = "A long-standing question in nuclear physics is whether chargeless nuclear systems can exist. To our knowledge, only neutron stars represent near-pure neutron systems, where neutrons are squeezed together by the gravitational force to very high densities. The experimental search for isolated multi-neutron systems has been an ongoing quest for several decades1, with a particular focus on the four-neutron system called the tetraneutron, resulting in only a few indications of its existence so far2–4, leaving the tetraneutron an elusive nuclear system for six decades. Here we report on the observation of a resonance-like structure near threshold in the four-neutron system that is consistent with a quasi-bound tetraneutron state existing for a very short time. The measured energy and width of this state provide a key benchmark for our understanding of the nuclear force. The use of an experimental approach based on a knockout reaction at large momentum transfer with a radioactive high-energy 8He beam was key.",

author = "M. Duer and T. Aumann and R. Gernh{\"a}user and V. Panin and S. Paschalis and Rossi, {D. M.} and Achouri, {N. L.} and D. Ahn and H. Baba and Bertulani, {C. A.} and M. B{\"o}hmer and K. Boretzky and C. Caesar and N. Chiga and A. Corsi and D. Cortina-Gil and Douma, {C. A.} and F. Dufter and Z. Elekes and J. Feng and B. Fern{\'a}ndez-Dom{\'i}nguez and U. Forsberg and N. Fukuda and I. Gasparic and Z. Ge and Gheller, {J. M.} and J. Gibelin and A. Gillibert and Hahn, {K. I.} and Z. Hal{\'a}sz and Harakeh, {M. N.} and A. Hirayama and M. Holl and N. Inabe and T. Isobe and J. Kahlbow and N. Kalantar-Nayestanaki and D. Kim and S. Kim and T. Kobayashi and Y. Kondo and D. K{\"o}rper and P. Koseoglou and Y. Kubota and I. Kuti and Li, {P. J.} and C. Lehr and S. Lindberg and Y. Liu and Marqu{\'e}s, {F. M.} and S. Masuoka and M. Matsumoto and J. Mayer and K. Miki and B. Monteagudo and T. Nakamura and T. Nilsson and A. Obertelli and Orr, {N. A.} and H. Otsu and Park, {S. Y.} and M. Parlog and Potlog, {P. M.} and S. Reichert and A. Revel and Saito, {A. T.} and M. Sasano and H. Scheit and F. Schindler and S. Shimoura and H. Simon and L. Stuhl and H. Suzuki and D. Symochko and H. Takeda and J. Tanaka and Y. Togano and T. Tomai and T{\"o}rnqvist, {H. T.} and J. Tscheuschner and T. Uesaka and V. Wagner and H. Yamada and B. Yang and L. Yang and Yang, {Z. H.} and M. Yasuda and K. Yoneda and L. Zanetti and J. Zenihiro and Zhukov, {M. V.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022, The Author(s).",

year = "2022",

month = jun,

day = "23",

doi = "10.1038/s41586-022-04827-6",

language = "אנגלית",

volume = "606",

pages = "678--682",

journal = "Nature",

issn = "0028-0836",

publisher = "Nature Research",

number = "7915",

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Duer, M, Aumann, T, Gernhäuser, R, Panin, V, Paschalis, S, Rossi, DM, Achouri, NL, Ahn, D, Baba, H, Bertulani, CA, Böhmer, M, Boretzky, K, Caesar, C, Chiga, N, Corsi, A, Cortina-Gil, D, Douma, CA, Dufter, F, Elekes, Z, Feng, J, Fernández-Domínguez, B, Forsberg, U, Fukuda, N, Gasparic, I, Ge, Z, Gheller, JM, Gibelin, J, Gillibert, A, Hahn, KI, Halász, Z, Harakeh, MN, Hirayama, A, Holl, M, Inabe, N, Isobe, T, Kahlbow, J, Kalantar-Nayestanaki, N, Kim, D, Kim, S, Kobayashi, T, Kondo, Y, Körper, D, Koseoglou, P, Kubota, Y, Kuti, I, Li, PJ, Lehr, C, Lindberg, S, Liu, Y, Marqués, FM, Masuoka, S, Matsumoto, M, Mayer, J, Miki, K, Monteagudo, B, Nakamura, T, Nilsson, T, Obertelli, A, Orr, NA, Otsu, H, Park, SY, Parlog, M, Potlog, PM, Reichert, S, Revel, A, Saito, AT, Sasano, M, Scheit, H, Schindler, F, Shimoura, S, Simon, H, Stuhl, L, Suzuki, H, Symochko, D, Takeda, H, Tanaka, J, Togano, Y, Tomai, T, Törnqvist, HT, Tscheuschner, J, Uesaka, T, Wagner, V, Yamada, H, Yang, B, Yang, L, Yang, ZH, Yasuda, M, Yoneda, K, Zanetti, L, Zenihiro, J & Zhukov, MV 2022, 'Observation of a correlated free four-neutron system', Nature, vol. 606, no. 7915, pp. 678-682. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-04827-6

TY - JOUR

T1 - Observation of a correlated free four-neutron system

AU - Duer, M.

AU - Aumann, T.

AU - Gernhäuser, R.

AU - Panin, V.

AU - Paschalis, S.

AU - Rossi, D. M.

AU - Achouri, N. L.

AU - Ahn, D.

AU - Baba, H.

AU - Bertulani, C. A.

AU - Böhmer, M.

AU - Boretzky, K.

AU - Caesar, C.

AU - Chiga, N.

AU - Corsi, A.

AU - Cortina-Gil, D.

AU - Douma, C. A.

AU - Dufter, F.

AU - Elekes, Z.

AU - Feng, J.

AU - Fernández-Domínguez, B.

AU - Forsberg, U.

AU - Fukuda, N.

AU - Gasparic, I.

AU - Ge, Z.

AU - Gheller, J. M.

AU - Gibelin, J.

AU - Gillibert, A.

AU - Hahn, K. I.

AU - Halász, Z.

AU - Harakeh, M. N.

AU - Hirayama, A.

AU - Holl, M.

AU - Inabe, N.

AU - Isobe, T.

AU - Kahlbow, J.

AU - Kalantar-Nayestanaki, N.

AU - Kim, D.

AU - Kim, S.

AU - Kobayashi, T.

AU - Kondo, Y.

AU - Körper, D.

AU - Koseoglou, P.

AU - Kubota, Y.

AU - Kuti, I.

AU - Li, P. J.

AU - Lehr, C.

AU - Lindberg, S.

AU - Liu, Y.

AU - Marqués, F. M.

AU - Masuoka, S.

AU - Matsumoto, M.

AU - Mayer, J.

AU - Miki, K.

AU - Monteagudo, B.

AU - Nakamura, T.

AU - Nilsson, T.

AU - Obertelli, A.

AU - Orr, N. A.

AU - Otsu, H.

AU - Park, S. Y.

AU - Parlog, M.

AU - Potlog, P. M.

AU - Reichert, S.

AU - Revel, A.

AU - Saito, A. T.

AU - Sasano, M.

AU - Scheit, H.

AU - Schindler, F.

AU - Shimoura, S.

AU - Simon, H.

AU - Stuhl, L.

AU - Suzuki, H.

AU - Symochko, D.

AU - Takeda, H.

AU - Tanaka, J.

AU - Togano, Y.

AU - Tomai, T.

AU - Törnqvist, H. T.

AU - Tscheuschner, J.

AU - Uesaka, T.

AU - Wagner, V.

AU - Yamada, H.

AU - Yang, B.

AU - Yang, L.

AU - Yang, Z. H.

AU - Yasuda, M.

AU - Yoneda, K.

AU - Zanetti, L.

AU - Zenihiro, J.

AU - Zhukov, M. V.

PY - 2022/6/23

Y1 - 2022/6/23

N2 - A long-standing question in nuclear physics is whether chargeless nuclear systems can exist. To our knowledge, only neutron stars represent near-pure neutron systems, where neutrons are squeezed together by the gravitational force to very high densities. The experimental search for isolated multi-neutron systems has been an ongoing quest for several decades1, with a particular focus on the four-neutron system called the tetraneutron, resulting in only a few indications of its existence so far2–4, leaving the tetraneutron an elusive nuclear system for six decades. Here we report on the observation of a resonance-like structure near threshold in the four-neutron system that is consistent with a quasi-bound tetraneutron state existing for a very short time. The measured energy and width of this state provide a key benchmark for our understanding of the nuclear force. The use of an experimental approach based on a knockout reaction at large momentum transfer with a radioactive high-energy 8He beam was key.

AB - A long-standing question in nuclear physics is whether chargeless nuclear systems can exist. To our knowledge, only neutron stars represent near-pure neutron systems, where neutrons are squeezed together by the gravitational force to very high densities. The experimental search for isolated multi-neutron systems has been an ongoing quest for several decades1, with a particular focus on the four-neutron system called the tetraneutron, resulting in only a few indications of its existence so far2–4, leaving the tetraneutron an elusive nuclear system for six decades. Here we report on the observation of a resonance-like structure near threshold in the four-neutron system that is consistent with a quasi-bound tetraneutron state existing for a very short time. The measured energy and width of this state provide a key benchmark for our understanding of the nuclear force. The use of an experimental approach based on a knockout reaction at large momentum transfer with a radioactive high-energy 8He beam was key.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85132450232&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1038/s41586-022-04827-6

DO - 10.1038/s41586-022-04827-6

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C2 - 35732764

AN - SCOPUS:85132450232

SN - 0028-0836

VL - 606

SP - 678

EP - 682

JO - Nature

JF - Nature

IS - 7915

ER -

Observation of a correlated free four-neutron system

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