New Binding Energy for the Two-Neutron Halo of Li-11
Abstract
he extended radius of a halo nuclide is very sensitive to the minute binding energy of its valence nucleons. The binding energy of (11)Li has been measured with high precision by using the radio-frequency spectrometer MISTRAL at CERN's ISOLDE facility. The new two-neutron separation energy of 378 +/- 5 keV is 25% higher than the previously accepted value with an uncertainty 5 times smaller.