Borromean halo nuclei

Recent studies of lighter dripline nuclei have revealed dramatic deviations from the matter distribution of ordinary stable nuclei and shell model ord ering. New stability patterns such as halo nuclei with co-existence of norm al and low-density nucleonic matter have been discovered, the Borromean nuc lei being the most outstanding. Lessons of the last decade which have led t o enrichment of the nuclear paradigm are discussed.