Alpha cluster structures and monopole excitations in $^{13}$C

Understand

The structure of $1/2^{\pm}$ states in $^{13}$C up to around the $3\alpha+n$ threshold ($E_x = 12.3$~MeV) is investigated with a full four-body $3\alpha+n$ orthogonality condition model (OCM) calculation, where the $3\alpha$ OCM, the model space of which is the subspace of the $3\alpha+n$ model, describes well the structure of the low-lying states of $^{12}$C including the $2^{+}_2$, $0^{+}_3$, and $0^{+}_4$ states, which have been recently observed above the Hoyle state ($0^+_2$).

• A full spectrum up to the $1/2^{-}_5$ ($1/2^{+}_3$) state is reproduced consistently with the lowest five $1/2^{-}$ (three $1/2^{+}$) states of experimental spectrum.
• It is shown that the $1/2^{-}_2$ and $1/2^{-}_3$ states are characterized by the dominant cluster configurations of $^{9}$Be($3/2^-$,$1/2^-$)+$\alpha$, while the ground state $1/2^-_1$ has a shell-model-like structure.
• The observed monopole transition strengths to the $1/2^{-}_{2,3}$ states are consistently reproduced for the first time.