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  Haigh, P.J.; Ashwood, N.I.; Bloxham, T.; Curtis, N.; Freer, M.; McEwan, P.; Price, D.; Ziman, V.; Bohlen, H.G.; Kokalova, Tz.; Schulz, Ch.; Torabi, R.; von Oertzen, W.; Wheldon, C.; Catford, W.; Harlin, C.; Kalpakchieva, R.; Massey, T.N.: Measurement of α and neutron decay widths of excited states of ¹⁴C. Physical Review C 78 (2008), p. 014319/1-14

10.1103/PhysRevC.78.014319

Abstract:
The ¹²C(¹⁶O,¹⁴O)¹⁴C reaction was studied at a beam energy of 234 MeV. The ¹⁴O ejectile was detected by a Q3D spectrometer at forward angles. The energies and angles of the excited ¹⁴C recoil break-up fragments were measured in coincidence with the ¹⁴O ejectile using a double sided silicon strip detector array at backward angles. A complete kinematic reconstruction of the reaction was performed to reconstruct the ¹⁴C^* \rightarrow ¹⁰Be + α and ¹⁴C^* \rightarrow ¹³ + n decay channels and the branching ratios and widths of these decays were calculated. Theoretical decay branches were calculated using barrier penetrability factors and were compared to the measured ratios to provide information on the spins, parities, and configurations of the states. Neutron emission was found to be favored for the 11.73, 12.96, 14.87,16.72, and 18.6 MeV states. The 14.87, 18.6, and 21.4 MeV states were found to have a considerable width for α-decay and are candidates for the three bodied molecular cluster structure of ¹⁴C.