Two-nucleon emitters within a pseudostate method: The case of $^6$Be and $^{16}$Be

Abstract

Background: Since the first experimental observation, two-nucleon radioactivity has gained renewed attention over the past fifteen years. The $^6$Be system is the lightest two-proton ground-state emitter, while $^{16}$Be has been recently proposed to be the first two-neutron ground-state emitter ever observed. A proper understanding of their properties and decay modes requires a reasonable description of the three-body continuum. Purpose: Study the ground-state properties of $^6$Be and $^{16}$Be within a general three-body model and investigate their nucleon-nucleon correlations in the continuum. Method: The pseudostate (PS) method in hyperspherical coordinates, using the analytical transformed harmonic oscillator (THO) basis for three-body systems, is used to construct the $^6$Be and $^{16}$Be ground-state wave functions. These resonances are approximated as a stable PS around the known two-nucleon separation energy. Effective core-$N$ potentials, constrained by the available experimental information on the binary subsystems $^5$Li and $^{15}$Be, are employed in the calculations. Results: The ground state of $^{16}$Be is found to present a strong dineutron configuration, with the valence neutrons occupying mostly an $l=2$ state relative to the core. The results are consistent with previous $R$-matrix calculations for the actual continuum. The case of $^6$Be shows a clear symmetry with respect to its mirror partner, the two-neutron halo $^6$He: The diproton configuration is dominant, and the valence protons occupy an $l=1$ orbit. Conclusions: The PS method is found to be a suitable tool in describing the properties of unbound $\text{core}+N+N$ ground states. For both $^{16}$Be and $^6$Be, the results are consistent with previous theoretical studies and confirm the dominant dinucleon configuration. This favors the picture of a correlated two-nucleon emission.