Heavy-ion Elastic Collisions and the Nuclear Surface Diffuseness

Abstract

Taking the magnitude of the elements of the S matrix and the nuclear phases to be of Woods-Saxon form in the variable I with width parameter LI, we find that the form of the scattering amplitude components f+(B) and f-(B) is specified by the parameters LI+ and LI- such that LI is closely the geometric mean of LI+ and LI-. Many angular distributions have been analysed into f+(B) and f-(B) to obtain LI+ and LI- and hence LI, the angular momentum diffuseness, from which the nuclear surface diffuseness is obtained, so reducing an ambiguity in the nuclear potential. The case of light ions incident on heavy ions has also been investigated.