PROBING PRE-FORMED ALPHA PARTICLES IN THE GROUND STATE OF NUCLEI

In this proceeding we report on alpha particle emission through the nuclear break-up in the reaction 40Ca on a 40Ca target at 50A MeV. It is observed that alpha particles are emitted to the continuum with very specific angular distribution during the reaction. The alpha particle properties seem to be compatible with an alpha cluster in the daughter nucleus that is perturbed by the short range nuclear attraction of the collision partner and emitted as described by a time-dependent theory. This mechanism offers new possibilities to study alpha particle properties in the nuclear medium.