Observation of a Near-Threshold Proton Resonance in B11

The observation of the emission of a proton from the exotic neutron-rich nucleus 11-berylium (11Be) prompted speculations on the nature of this process. Researchers at Florida State University observed a narrow resonance in 11B which suggests that the proton emission of 11Be is a two-step process rather than a more exotic process needing physics beyond the standard model to explain. Here, the location of the resonance near the proton-threshold in 11B, as well as its decay properties, are a manifestation of quantum many-body physics in the nucleus.