3- α and 4- α systems within a short-range effective field theory–inspired approach

12C and 16O nuclei represent essential elements for life on Earth. The study of their formation plays a key role in understanding heavy element nucleosynthesis and stellar evolution. In this paper we present the study of 12C and 16O nuclei as systems composed of alpha-particle clusters using a short-range effective field theory-inspired approach. The fundamental and excited states of the studied nuclei are calculated within an ab initio approach using the hyperspherical harmonics method. Thanks to the two-body potential and fine-tuning of the three-body force, we have found the 12C system nicely reproduced by theory. However, for the 16O case, it is necessary to include a four-body force in order to achieve agreement with the experimental data.