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R. S. Mackintosh

Publications and source records attributed to R. S. Mackintosh.

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Elastic transfer and parity dependence of the nucleus-nucleus optical potential

Background: A recent coupled reaction channel (CRC) study shows that the enhanced oscillation of the elastic $^{16}$O+$^{12}$C cross section at backward angles is due mainly to the elastic $α$ transfer or the core exchange. Such a process gives rise to a parity-dependent term in the total elastic $S$-matrix, an indication of the parity dependence of the $^{16}$O+$^{12}$C optical potential (OP). Purpose: To explicitly determine the core exchange potential (CEP) induced by the symmetric exchange of the two $^{12}$C cores in the elastic $^{16}$O+$^{12}$C scattering at $E_{\rm lab}= 132$ and 300 MeV, and explore its parity dependence. Method: $S$-matrix generated by CRC description of the elastic $^{16}$O+$^{12}$C scattering is used as the input for the inversion calculation to obtain the effective local OP that contains both the Wigner and Majorana terms. Results: The high-precision inversion results show a strong contribution by the complex Majorana term in the total OP of the $^{16}$O+$^{12}$C system, and thus provide for the first time a direct estimation of the parity-dependent CEP. Conclusions: The elastic $α$ transfer or exchange of the two $^{12}$C cores in the $^{16}$O+$^{12}$C system gives rise to a complex parity dependence of the total OP. This should be a general feature of the OP for the light heavy-ion systems that contain two identical cores.

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The angular momentum dependence of nuclear optical potentials

The nuclear optical model potential (OMP) is generally assumed to be independent of the orbital angular momentum, $l$, of the interacting nuclei. Nucleon-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus interactions are customarily $l$ independent in calculations of nuclear elastic scattering and in standard reaction codes. The evidence for various forms of $l$ dependence of OMPs is reviewed and the importance of implementing these forms is evaluated. Existing arguments and evidence for $l$ dependence are reviewed and new arguments and calculations are introduced. The relationship is examined between (i) $l$ dependence, and, (ii) the undularity (waviness) of $l$-independent potentials that are $S$-matrix equivalent to $l$-dependent potentials. Such undularity is a property of the dynamic polarisation potential (DPP) generated by the coupling to reaction channels, or by coupling to excited states of the target or projectile nuclei. Various examples, particularly involving weakly bound projectile nuclei, are presented. Such undularity also occurs in $l$-independent potentials that have been found in model independent fits to precise wide angular range elastic scattering angular distributions. Cases of such phenomenological undularity, for both light and heavy ions, are referenced and shown to be related to undulatory properties of the dynamic polarisation potentials (DPPs) arising from channel coupling. Other forms of $l$ dependence, that could be standard options in direct reaction codes, are noted. Of particular importance are $l$ dependencies arising from full antisymmetrization. The case is made that reaction-induced $l$ dependence is a general property of nucleon-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus interactions and represents a valid extension of the nuclear optical model.

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The relationship between undularity and L dependence of the nuclear optical model potential

The contribution of collective or reaction channels to a local optical model potential, OMP, can be readily calculated as a dynamical polarization potential, DPP. The resulting local DPPs commonly have undulatory (`wavy') features, often including local regions of emissivity in the imaginary component. We show here that this undularity arises from $l$-dependence of the underlying formal non-local and $l$-dependent DPP. The $l$-independent proton OMPs, that have the same $S$-matrix $S_{lj}$ as phenomenological $l$-dependent potentials, exhibit undulations that are qualitatively similar to undulations of local DPPs generated by channel coupling. The $l$-dependent phenomenological potentials studied are the potentials that give the best existing fits to the relevant elastic scattering data and the undulatory potentials presented here, being $S$-matrix equivalent (i.e.\ having the same $S$-matrix, $S_{lj}$) give exactly the same scattering. In addition, we present calculations strongly suggesting that undularity (`waviness') is a generic property of $l$-independent potentials that are $S$-matrix equivalent to $l$-dependent potentials. Implications for the validity of folding models based on a local density model are noted.

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The $l$ dependence of the helion optical model potential and the undularity of the $l$-independent equivalent

The relationship between $l$-dependence and undularity of the optical model potential (OMP) is studied for the case of the elastic scattering of 33 MeV \nuc{3}{He} on $^{58}$Ni. The relationship that emerges follows the general features of the same relationship found for the proton OMP presented in arXiv:1705.07003. The general background is also presented in that reference.

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Elastic Scattering Phenomenology

We argue that, in many situations, fits to elastic scattering data that were historically, and frequently still are, considered `good', are not justifiably so describable. Information about the dynamics of nucleon-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus scattering is lost when elastic scattering phenomenology is insufficiently ambitious. It is argued that in many situations, an alternative approach is appropriate for the phenomenology of nuclear elastic scattering of nucleons and other light nuclei. The approach affords an appropriate means of evaluating folding models, one that fully exploits available empirical data. It is particularly applicable for nucleons and other light ions.

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The dynamic polarization potential and dynamical non-locality in nuclear potentials: Deuteron-nucleus potential

The consequences for direct reactions of the dynamical non-locality generated by the excitation of the target and projectile are much less studied than the effects of non-locality arising from exchange processes. Here we are concerned with the dynamical non-locality due to projectile excitation in deuteron induced reactions. The consequences of this non-locality can be studied by the comparison of deuteron induced direct reactions calculated with alternative representations of the elastic channel wave functions: (i) the elastic channel wave functions from coupled channel (CC) calculations involving specific reaction processes, and, (ii) elastic channel wave functions calculated from local potentials that exactly reproduce the elastic scattering $S$-matrix from the same CC calculations. In this work we produce the local equivalent deuteron potentials required for the study of direct reactions involving deuterons. These will enable the study of the effects of dynamical non-locality following a method previously employed in an investigation of the effects of non-locality due to target excitation. In this work we consider only excitations due to deuteron breakup, and some new properties of the breakup dynamical polarization potential (DPP) emerge that reveal dynamical non-locality directly. In addition, we evaluate the TELP inversion method and find that it fails to reproduce some features of the DPP due to breakup.

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Emergence of a secondary rainbow and the dynamical polarization potential for 16O on 12C at 330 MeV

Background: An anomaly in the elastic scattering of O-16 on C-12 around 300 MeV was resolved by including collective excitations of both nuclei, leading to a secondary rainbow. There is little systematic knowledge of the contribution of collective excitations to the interaction between nuclei, particularly in the overlap region of heavy nuclei. Purpose: To study the dynamic polarization potential (DPP) generated by channel coupling that had been validated for a case where scattering is sensitive to the nuclear potential over a wide radial range; to exhibit evidence of the non-locality due to collective coupling; to validate, or otherwise, the representation of DPPs by uniform renormalization of potentials. Methods: S-matrix to potential inversion yields local potentials reproducing the elastic channel S-matrix of coupled channel calculations. Subtracting the elastic channel uncoupled potential yields a local L-independent representation of the DPP. The dependence of the DPP on the nature of the coupled states and other parameters can be studied. Results: Local DPPs were found due to the excitation of C-12 and the combined excitation of O-16 and C-12. The radial forms found were very different from uniform renormalization of the potential. Full coupling led to a 10 percent increase in the volume integral of the real potential. Evidence for the non-locality of the underlying formal DPP and the effect of direct coupling between the collective states is found. Conclusions: The local DPP generating the secondary rainbow is found. DPPs have forms depending on the specific excitations and cannot be represented by a uniform renormalization of the potential. The method is useful for study of the contribution of collective excitations to internuclear potentials, concerning which remarkably little is known in general.

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Strong pickup-channel coupling effects in proton scattering: the case of p + Be-10

The dynamic polarization potential (DPP) contribution to the effective proton-nucleus interaction, that is due to the coupling of deuteron channels, is evaluated by applying $S_{lj} \to V(r)$ inversion to the elastic channel $S$-matrix from coupled reaction channel calculations of proton elastic scattering. This was done for protons scattering from $^{10}$Be at 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 MeV; non-orthogonality corrections were included. We find a consistent pattern of a repulsive real and an absorptive imaginary DPP, with the absorption shifted to a larger radius. This is consistent with what has been found for proton scattering from the neutron skin nucleus $^8$He. The DPP is not of a form that can be represented by a renormalization of the bare potential, and has properties suggesting an underlying non-local process. We conclude that deuteron channels cannot be omitted from a full theoretical description of the proton-nucleus interaction (optical potential).

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Nuclear applications of inverse scattering, present ... and future?

There now exists a practical method (IP) for the routine inversion of $S$-matrix elements to produce the corresponding potential. It can be applied to spin-1/2 and spin-1 projectiles. We survey the ways that IP inversion can be applied in nuclear physics by inverting $S_{lj}$ derived from theory or from experiment. The IP inversion method can be extended to invert $S_{lj}(E)$ over a range of energies to produce a potential $V(r,E) + \vect{l}\vdot\gvectσ V_{\rm ls}(r,E)$. It also yields parity-dependent potentials between pairs of light nuclei and can be convoluted with a direct search on the $S$-matrix to produce `direct data $\to V$ inversion'. The last is an economical alternative form of optical model search to fit many observables (e.g. for polarized deuterons) for many energies, producing an energy-dependent potential with many parameters (e.g. $T_{\rm R}$ for deuterons).

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Investigation of the 6He cluster structures

The 4He+2n and t+t clustering of the 6He ground state were investigated by means of the transfer reaction 6He(p,t)4He at 25 MeV/nucleon. The experiment was performed in inverse kinematics at GANIL with the SPEG spectrometer coupled to the MUST array. Experimental data for the transfer reaction were analyzed by a DWBA calculation including the two neutrons and the triton transfer. The couplings to the 6He --> 4He + 2n breakup channels were taken into account with a polarization potential deduced from a coupled-discretized-continuum channels analysis of the 6He+1H elastic scattering measured at the same time. The influence on the calculations of the 4He+t exit potential and of the triton sequential transfer is discussed. The final calculation gives a spectroscopic factor close to one for the 4He+2n configuration as expected. The spectroscopic factor obtained for the t+t configuration is much smaller than the theoretical predictions.

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Investigation of the Coupling Potential by means of S-matrix Inversion

We investigate the inelastic coupling interaction by studying its effect on the elastic scattering potential as determined by inverting the elastic scattering $S$-matrix. We first address the effect upon the real and imaginary elastic potentials of including excited states of the target nucleus. We then investigate the effect of a recently introduced novel coupling potential which has been remarkably successful in reproducing the experimental data for the $^{12}$C+$^{12}$C, $^{12}$C+$^{24}$Mg and $^{16}$O+$^{28}$Si reactions over a wide range of energies. This coupling potential has the effect of deepening the real elastic potential in the surface region, thereby explaining a common feature of many phenomenological potentials. It is suggested that one can relate this deepening to the super-deformed state of the compound nucleus, $^{24}$Mg.

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An inversion procedure for coupled-channel scattering: determining the deuteron-nucleus tensor interaction

We present a practical $S$-matrix to potential inversion procedure for coupled-channel scattering. The inversion technique developed is applied to non-diagonal $S^J_{ll'}$ for spin one projectiles, yielding a tensor interaction $T_{\rm R}$, and is also applicable to spin-1/2 plus spin-1/2 scattering. The method is a generalization of the iterative-perturbative, IP, method. It is tested and evaluated and we investigate the degree of uniqueness of the potential, particularly for cases where there is insufficient information to define the potential uniquely. We examine the potentials which result when the $S$-matrix is generated from a $T_{\rm P}$ interaction. We also develop the generalisation, using established procedures, of IP $S$-matrix-to-potential inversion to direct observable-to-potential inversion. This `direct inversion' procedure is demonstrated to be an efficient method for finding a multi-component potential including a $T_{\rm R}$ interaction fitting multi-energy $σ$, ${\rm i}T_{11}$, $T_{20}$, $T_{21}$ and $T_{22}$ data for the scattering of spin-1 nuclei from spin-zero target. It is applicable to other channel spin 1 cases.

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Spin 1 inversion: a Majorana tensor force for deuteron alpha scattering

We demonstrate, for the first time, successful S-matrix to potential inversion for spin one projectiles with non-diagonal $S^j_{ll'}$ yielding a $T_{\rm R}$ interaction. The method is a generalization of the iterative-perturbative, IP, method. We present a test case indicating the degree of uniqueness of the potential. The method is adapted, using established procedures, into direct observable to potential inversion, fitting $σ$, ${\rm i}T_{11}$, $T_{20}$, $T_{21}$ and $T_{22}$ for d + alpha scattering over a range of energies near 10 MeV. The $T_{\rm R}$ interaction which we find is very different from that proposed elsewhere, both real and imaginary parts being very different for odd and even parity channels.

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Determination of Li-6 -- He-4 interaction from multi-energy scattering data

We present the first successful potential model description of Li-6 -- He-4 scattering. The differential cross-sections for three energies and the vector analyzing powers for two energies were fitted by a single potential with energy dependent imaginary components. An essential ingredient is a set of Majorana terms in each component. The potential was determined using a recently developed direct data-to-potential inversion method which is a generalisation of the IP S-matrix-to-potential inversion algorithm. We discuss the problems related to this phenomenological approach, and discuss the relationship of our results to existing and future theories.

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New technique for phase shift analysis: multi-energy solution of inverse scattering problem

We demonstrate a new approach to the analysis of extensive multi-energy data. For the case of d + He-4, we produce a phase shift analysis covering for the energy range 3 to 11 MeV. The key idea is the use of iterative perturbative data-to-potential inversion which can produce potentials which reproduce the data simultaneously over a range of energies. It thus effectively regularizes the extraction of phase shifts from diverse, incomplete and possibly somewhat contradictory data sets. In doing so, it will provide guidance to experimentalists as to what further measurements should be made. This study is limited to vector spin observables and spin-orbit interactions. We discuss alternative ways in which the theory can be implemented and which provide insight into the ambiguity problems. We compare the extrapolation of these solutions to other energies. Majorana terms are presented for each potential component.

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Deuteron -- $α$ interaction by inversion of RGM S-matrix: determination of spin-orbit potential for spin-1 projectile

The iterative-perturbative (IP) procedure for S-matrix to potential inversion is applied to spin-one projectiles for the restricted case of vector spin-orbit interaction only. In order to evaluate this extension of IP inversion we have inverted the multi-channel RGM $S_{lj}$ of Kanada et al for deuterons scattering from $^4$He with deuteron distortion and then compared the central components with those derived from RGM with spin set to zero. Attention is given to the question of how well the resulting potentials are established. Reliable spin-1 inversion is demonstrated. Results relating to inversion, to deuteron-nucleus interactions and to RGM are presented and suggest the range of nuclear interaction information which the procedure makes possible. Unusual non-locality and parity dependence effects are found; these are of possible relevance to generic properties of nuclear potentials.

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Local $^4$He--p potentials from RGM phase shifts

Phase shifts for $α$ + nucleon scattering generated by a multichannel RGM model of the five-nucleon system are subjected to iterative-perturbative ``mixed-case" inversion for energies below the reaction threshold. The resulting phase-equivalent potentials are compared with local potentials calculated from the inversion of empirical phase shifts. A strong similarity is revealed between the two sets of potentials, most notably in the description by a parity- and energy-dependent local potential. In particular, the RGM-derived and empirical potentials share a distinctive form of parity dependence in which the odd-parity component is of greater radial extent. Comparison with potentials representing single-channel RGM phase shifts exhibits the importance of the coupled channels in terms of local potentials. The relative wave functions derived from RGM are very different to those for the phase-equivalent local potentials.

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