Halo formation and breakup: lessons and open questions

A quarter of a century's concerted international work in halo physics has resulted in an extended nuclear paradigm encompassing the limits of existence of cold nuclei and also structures beyond-continuum structures of open (nuclear) quantum systems. Realistic working models, based on cluster constituents, have sprung out of the very nature of halo phenomena, in particular from the three-body Borromean property of two-neutron halos, the lack of low-lying binary breakup channels. This has provided transparency and possibility for insight into new quantum behaviour, also in continua beyond driplines-a focus of this status assessment. Breakup spectra and progressively exclusive correlation cross sections can be computed and show, where relevant data exist, not only that general agreement is encouraging but also that some exclusive observables exhibit significant disagreement that has to be clarified. Progress in studies of two-proton emitters has provided another pathway beyond driplines, where again few-body theory appears promising.