Simple Realistic Treatment of Nuclear Direct-Interaction Processes

Abstract

Physical arguments are used to predict qualitatively the effect on direct-interaction differential cross sections of the distortion of the wave functions of the scattered particle. These qualitative predictions are confirmed by calculations using a simple but fairly realistic model for the wave function distortion in ($\alpha , {\alpha }^{\prime }$) scattering. The model used is based on examination of the properties of optical model wave functions. Good fits to experimental data are found using the model for ($\alpha , {\alpha }^{\prime }$) scattering in the energy range 20-40 Mev for scattering angles less than 90°. Features of direct-interaction processes involving nucleons are interpreted in terms of a focus in the optical model wave functions for these particles, but detailed calculations are not presented.