Breakup channels for C-12 triple-alpha continuum states

The triple-alpha-particle breakup of states in the triple-alpha continuum of C-12 has been investigated by way of coincident detection of all three alpha particles of the breakup. The states have been fed in the beta decay of N-12 and B-12, and the alpha particles measured using a setup that covers all of the triple-alpha phase space. Contributions from the breakup through the Be-8(0(+)) ground state as well as other channels-interpreted as breakup through excited energies in Be-8-have been identified. Spins and parities of C-12 triple-alpha continuum states are deduced from the measured phase-space distributions for breakup through Be-8 above the ground state by comparison to a fully symmetrized sequential R-matrix description of the breakup. At around 10 MeV in C-12, the breakup is found to be dominated by 0(+) strength breaking up through the ghost of the Be-8(0(+)) ground state with L = 0 angular momentum between the first emitted alpha particle and the intermediate Be-8 nucleus. For C-12 energies above the 12.7 MeV 1(+) state, however, L = 2 breakup of a C-12 2(+) state through the Be-8(2(+)) excited state dominates. Furthermore, the possibility of a 2(+) excited state in the 9-12 MeV region of C-12 is investigated.