Weighing the evidence for clustering in nuclei
Clustering in nuclei is a long-standing topic in nuclear physics. While it has attracted much experimental and theoretical attention over the years, it is a model which is still controversial in terms of whether such clustering can be clearly delineated and separated from the complexity of nuclear structure described within more conventional nuclear models. In this sense, there is still ambiguity in terms of the uniqueness and relevance of the clustering description. What is often not clearly articulated is what would provide the most compelling evidence for clustering in different contexts. As a means of illustrating these issues, two strands of this topic will be discussed: alpha clustering in light nuclei and clustering in the 12C+12C system. Recent work in these areas will be reviewed and scope for future work will be highlighted.