Breakup reaction study of the Brunnian nucleus $^{10}$C
N. Curtis, N. L. Achouri, N. I. Ashwood, H. G. Bohlen, W. N. Catford, N. M. Clarke, M. Freer, P. J. Haigh, B. Laurent, N. A. Orr, N. P. Patterson, N. Soi\'{c}, J. S. Thomas, and V. Ziman

The structure and 2$\alpha+2p$ breakup of $^{10}$C, the only known Brunnian nucleus, has been studied at 33.3 MeV/nucleon. The breakup kinematics were used to reconstruct the $^{10}$C $\rightarrow$ $^{9}$B + $p$, $^{9}$B $\rightarrow$ $^{8}$Be + $p$, $^{8}$Be $\rightarrow$ $\alpha$ + $\alpha$ and $^{10}$C $\rightarrow$ $^{6}$Be + $\alpha$, $^{6}$Be $\rightarrow$ $^{5}$Li + $p$, $^{5}$Li $\rightarrow$ $\alpha$ + $p$ decay paths. Proton emission was seen to be favored. The decay of excited states at E$_{\rm x}$ = 4.20, 5.31 and 6.74 MeV was observed. The previously unobserved state at 4.20 MeV may correspond to a J$^{\pi}$ = 0$^+$ $\alpha$+2$p$+$\alpha$ cluster structure.

© 2008 The American Physical Society.