Disentangling unclear nuclear breakup channels of beryllium-9 using the three-axis Dalitz plot

Abstract

The three-axis Dalitz plot has been applied to the breakup of a nucleus into unequal mass fragments for the first time. The Dalitz plot allows clear identification of the various breakup channels of9Be → 2α + n process. The method has allowed the branching ratio for the 6.38 MeV level in9Be to be provisionally calculated when examining the9Be(4He, α)ααn reaction. The effects of non-uniform angular distributions on the Dalitz plot must still be properly investigated along with the effects of contaminant reaction channels. It is proposed that this method could be used to determine the breakup branching ratio of a newly-measured level in this nucleus.