Posted December 31, 2004 Table of exotic helium isotopes isotope decay chain produced from: decays to: half-life (seconds) notes Helium-5 none helium-4 ? highly unstable Helium-6 helium-7 lithium-11 lithium-6 0.8067 decomposes through beta decay Helium-7 none helium-6 very short highly unstable Helium-8 helium-9 lithium-7 lithium-8 0.119 Helium-9 none helium-8 very short highly unstable Helium-10 none helium-9 very short highly unstable The above table of helium isotopes is posted at this interent link [http://www.searchspaniel.com/index.php/Helium-5].  One will note that Helium-8 is known to decay into two different isotopes of Lithium (7-Li-3 and 8-Li-3).  The web page provides the following statement: The most widely-studied exotic helium isotope, for example, is helium-8. This isotope is thought to consist of a normal helium-4 nucleus surrounded by four neutrons dubbed a "halo." The Brightsen NCM predicts an alternative hypothesis for the Helium-8 to Lithium-8 decay process, that is, that Helium-8 consists of a core helium-6 nucleus with a single [N-N] halo as follows:  {[N-P-N] + [N-P-N]} core + [N-N] .  From this unstable cluster structure it is clear that a beta-decay of one of the neutrons [N] from one of the [N-P-N] clusters yields Lithium-8 as follows {[N-P-N] + [P-N-P]} stable Lithium-6 core + [N-N] halo cluster.   [New: added January 15, 2005].  Why is a core structure of [N-P-N] + [N-P-N] unstable ?   According to the Pauli Exclusion Principle , two identical FERMIONS cannot coexist in the same energy level within a nucleus.  Because tritum [N-P-N] is a fermion with spin of 1/2+ , the Brightsen NCM predicts that two [N-P-N] clusters cannot coexist in a beta-stable state within a nuclear shell, thus the predicted beta decay of Helium-8 to Lithium-8.  Note also from the above table that the isotope 6-He-2 is unstable and decomposes via beta-decay to the very stable 6-Li-3, thus providing experimental confirmation of the above process as predicted by the Brightsen NCM. [New: added May 5, 2005].  A correction is in order for the above text.  It is incorrect according to the Brightsen Model dynamics that two [N-P-N] clusters could not coexist in theory within the same energy level--because each [N-P-N] cluster could have opposite "isospin" dynamics "as a cluster" to allow for their coexistence without violation of the Pauli Exclusion Principle.  Comments are welcome (Contact Webmaster).

Posted December 29, 2004 Current research on "antimatter" [see this link from CERN] has direct application to the Brightsen Nucleon Cluster Model.  It is now possible to create "anti-deuterium", one of the fundamental antimatter clusters of the Brightsen NCM.   This advance opens the opportunity to directly test one of the primary conclusions of the Brightsen NCM, namely that a fusion of an antimatter "anti-deuterium" cluster [N-P]- with a matter Helium-3 cluster [P-N-P]+ should yield to the observer pure matter protons [P]+.  This process was explained by Mr. Brightsen in his main 1996 publication on the NCM as follows:  "...gravity acts on the [P-N-P] in the ordinary down direction, while an opposite force (antigravity) acts on the anti [N-P] in the up direction."  The net result of matter [P] nucleons is what is observed in the laboratory (modified for clarification).   While neither anti-deuterium nor Helium-3 are common, their experimental fusion at different levels of energy should provide important information on a fundamental aspect of the Brightsen NCM. Comments are welcome: Contact Webmaster

Posted December 19, 2004 The discovery of Hydrogen-7 (7-H-1) was posted in 2003 at this link from Physics Web [http://physicsweb.org/articles/news/7/3/3].  Of interest concerning the Brightsen NCM, is the statement that the break-up of Hydrogen-7 does not form independent protons [P] and neutrons [N].  Instead, conforming to the Brightsen NCM, it forms an elementary cluster of tritons [N-P-N] and neutrons.  The Brightsen NCM thus predicts the following cluster structure of Hydrogen-7, with a tritium core, surrounded by two halo [N-N] clusters:  [N-N] + [N-P-N] + [N-N]   =  Predicted cluster structure of Hydrogen-7 that conforms to experimental decay products as posted on Physics Web. Of great interest is the observation that the Brightsen NCM also predicts the a priori possibility of the following cluster structure for Hydrogen-7, namely a deuterium core [N-P] surrounded by [N-N] and [N-N-N] halo clusters.  However, because deuterium was not observed as a decay product of Hydrogen-7, this a priori possibility of the Brightsen NCM has been falsified by experimental results.   Comments are welcome: Contact Webmaster

Posted December 19, 2004 Quantum Monte Carlo calculations of light nuclei.  2001.  Steven Pieper and R. Wiringa.  Annu. Rev. Nucl. Part. Sci. 51:53-90.  In this paper, the authors discuss the results of Monte Carlo calculations as relates to experimental results for 30 different ground states of light nuclei.  In the abstract they state ... "These microscopic calucations show that nuclear structure, including both single-particle and clustering aspects, can be explained starting from elementary two-and three-nucleon interactions..."    This conclusion of Pieper and Wiringa is in complete agreement with the Brightsen Nucleon Cluster Model, which is based on the hypothesis that all beta-stable and beta-unstable isotopes are unique combinations of elementary: (1) two-nucleon clusters,  [N-P], [N-N], [P-P] and (2) three-nucleon clusters such as [N-P-N], [P-N-P], [N-N-N].  Beta-stable isotopes can only be formed from the two-and-three nucleon interactions of [N-P], [N-P-N], and [P-N-P] clusters, since {N-N], {N-N-N], [P-P], [P-P-P] cluster formations are unstable and/or weakly bound.  Comments are welcome: Contact Webmaster

Posted December 19, 2004 Clusters in light N-rich nuclei.  2003.  V. Ziman and M. Freer. [manuscript link ].  In this manuscript, the authors discuss numerous examples of experimental confirmation of cluster structure in isotopes.  All of the examples provided are predicted by the Brightsen Nucleon Cluster Model--in fact--the Brightsen model applies not only to "light nuclei", but to all known beta-stable and beta-unstable nuclides.  Ziman and Freer make the following statement..."the capabilities for investigating these structures have been extended by development of the technique of resonant-particle spectroscopy".   This link provides information on the use of this resonant-particle spectroscopy to study the cluster structure of nuclei [http://www.np.ph.bham.ac.uk/charissa/past.htm], which should have application to study of the dynamics of the Brightsen NCM  Comments are welcome: Contact Webmaster

Posted December 18, 2004 Two alpha particle plus dinucleon cluster model for B-10 and Be-10.  1984.  H. Nishioka. J. Phys. G: Nucl. Phys. 10 (1984):1713-1729. [http://journals.ohiolink.edu:20080/local-cgi/send-pdf/041118211554407693.pdf].  This 1984 paper was published one year after Mr. Brightsen finalized his concept of the Nucleon Cluster Model.  In this paper by Nishioka the isotopes 10-B-5 and 10-Be-4 are hypothesized not to conform to the independent [P] and [N] shell model of Mayer and Jensen, but it is found that both isotopes best fit a cluster type model comprised of "two alpha plus a dinucleon"--that is, a macroscopic structure of three clusters.  The Brightsen Nucleon Cluster Model predicts the following three cluster structure for both of these isotopes:  10-B-5  [N-P + N-P] + [N-P + N-P] + [N-P]                                                    10-Be-4    [N-P + N-P] + [N-P + N-P] + [N-N]    Note that for 10-B-5 the "dinucleon" cluster is the deuterium cluster [N-P], whereas for 10-Be-4 the "dinucleon" is a weakly bound halo [N-N] cluster.  Comments are welcome: Contact Webmaster

Posted December 18, 2004 Cluster structures within fermionic molecular dynamics.  T. Neff and H. Feldmeier.  2004 Nucl. Phys. A738: 357-361.  See this link: [http://xxx.arxiv.cornell.edu/abs/nucl-th/0312130].  In this paper recently published, Neff & Feldmeier discuss the "cluster nature" of Carbon-12 (12-C-6).  The Brightsen Nucleon Cluster Model predicts a variety of cluster formations for 12-C-6, such as the following representation comprised of three matter alpha (4-He-2):  [N-P + N-P] + [N-P + N-P] + [N-P + N-P] = Carbon 12.  This is but one of many possible cluster formations for 12-C-6, others of which can include both matter and anti-matter combinations.  See the 1995 publication of Mr. Brightsen on the Nucleon Cluster Model and Periodic Table of Beta-Stable Nuclides at this link for details: [Publications]. Comments are welcome: Contact Webmaster

Posted December 16, 2004 By Agim Ibishi: A new method for calculation of nuclear cluster structure of nuclei--powerpoint presentation at this link: [http://www.kvi.nl/fb19/talks/session08c/ibishi.ppt]. Comments are welcome: Contact Webmaster

Posted December 15, 2004 A new model of the nucleus by Dr. Peter Fimmel, called the Extended Nuclear Cluster Model is now available for review at this link: http://home.it.net.au/~pjf/model.htm This model is very similar to, but differs significantly from the Brightsen Nucleon Cluster Model.   Whereas the model of Fimmel allows for free protons and neutron, the Brightsen model predicts that free [P] and [N] do not exist due to matter-antimatter interactions.  Comments are welcome: Contact Webmaster Posted: December 16, 2004.  Reply comments of Dr. Fimmel :   Thank you for the comments on my model and the link to my site. "Re individual nuclear protons and neutrons: one and two neutron and proton emissions are well known decay modes among unstable light nuclei and my model shows excellent congruence with those decays. In my scheme, isotope series for each element have a definite upper and lower mass limit. Associated with those limits are nucleons which are not part of the nucleus, but are passenger protons and neutrons, weakly bound to the nucleus. Regards, Peter Fimmel"