Effective field theory for proton halo nuclei

Abstract

We use halo effective field theory to analyze the universal features of proton halo nuclei bound due to a large S-wave scattering length. With a Lagrangian built from effective core and valence-proton fields, we derive a leading-order expression for the charge form factor. Within the same framework we also calculate the radiative proton capture cross section. Our general results at leading order are applied to study the excited 1/2+ state of Fluorine-17, and we give results for the charge radius and the astrophysical S-factor.