Unified Description ofLi6Structure and Deuterium-He4Dynamics with Chiral Two- and Three-Nucleon Forces

Here, we provide a unified ab initio description of the 6Li ground state and elastic scattering of deuterium (d) on 4He (α) using two- and three-nucleon forces from chiral effective field theory. We analyze the influence of the three-nucleon force and reveal the role of continuum degrees of freedom in shaping the low-lying spectrum of 6Li. The calculation reproduces the empirical binding energy of 6Li, yielding an asymptotic D- to S-state ratio of the 6Li wave function in the d+α configuration of –0.027, in agreement with a determination from 6Li–4He elastic scattering, but overestimates the excitation energy of the 3+ state by 350 keV. The bulk of the computed differential cross section is in good agreement with data. These results endorse the application of the present approach to the evaluation of the 2H(α,γ)6Li radiative capture, responsible for the big-bang nucleosynthesis of 6Li.