Collective modes of tri-nuclear molecules

A geometrical model for tri-nuclear molecules is presented. An analytical s olution is obtained provided the nuclei, which ate taken to be prolately de formed, are connected in line to each other. Furthermore, the tri-nuclear m olecule is composed of two heavy and one light cluster, the latter sandwich ed between the two heavy clusters. A basis is constructed in which Hamilton ians of more general configurations can be diagonalized. In the calculation of the interaction between the clusters higher multipole deformations are taken into account, including the hexadecupole one. A repulsive nuclear cor e is introduced in the potential in order to ensure a quasi-stable configur ation of the system. The model is applied to three nuclear molecules, namel y Sr-96 + Be-10 + Ba-146, Mo-108+ Be-10 + Te-134 and Ru-112 + Be-10 + Sn-13 0.