Evidence for alpha-particle chain configurations inMg24

We have observed a strong peak in the excitation function for the inelastic scattering reaction ${}_{}{}^{12}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{C}$ ${(}^{12}$C${,}^{12}$C($0_2^{+}$)${)}^{12}$C($0_2^{+}$) at an energy of ${\mathit{E}}_{\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{m}.\mathrm{}}$=32.5 MeV. A recoil coincidence arrangement between two double-sided silicon strip detectors was used to detect the α particles from the decaying ${}_{}{}^{12}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{C}$ nuclei, and the reconstructed reaction kinematics were used to calculate the two-body scattering Q value. This excitation-function structure may be interpreted as arising from very highly deformed α-particle chain configurations in the nucleus ${}_{}{}^{24}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Mg}$.