We compute energy distributions of three particles emerging from decaying many-body resonances. We reproduce the measured energy distributions from decays of two archetypal states chosen as the lowest $0^{+}$ and $1^{+}$ resonances in ${}^{12}\mathrm{C}$ populated in $\beta$ decays. These states are dominated by sequential, through the ${}^8\mathrm{Be}$ ground state, and direct decays, respectively. These decay mechanisms are reflected in the “dynamic” evolution from small, cluster or shell-model states, to large distances, where the coordinate or momentum space continuum wave functions are accurately computed.

• Received 25 April 2007

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.072503