  A formalism to evaluate the resonant states produced by two particles moving
outside a closed shell core is presented. The two particle states are
calculated by using a single particle representation consisting of bound
states, Gamow resonances and scattering states in the complex energy plane
(Berggren representation). Two representative cases are analysed corresponding
to whether the Fermi level is below or above the continuum threshold. It is
found that long lived two-body states (including bound states) are mostly
determined by either bound single-particle states or by narrow Gamow
resonances. However, they can be significantly affected by the continuum part
of the spectrum.
