Distortion of Nuclear Spectra by Final-State Coulomb Interactions

When charged-particle nuclear spectra are used to determine the location and width of an energy level in a nucleus with a moderately short lifetime for charged particle decay, corrections for final-state Coulomb interactions can sometimes be very important. The effect is illustrated by application to the 16.62- and 16.92-MeV levels in ${\mathrm{Be}}^8$ produced by the reaction ${\mathrm{Li}}^6({\mathrm{Li}}^6, \alpha ){\mathrm{Be}}^8$.