Mass dependence of the real optical model potential for light ions

Abstract

The observed target mass dependence of the volume integral per interacting nucleon pair of the real optical model potential for deuterons, helium-3 and alpha particles is explained in terms of the density dependence of the effective projectile-nucleon interaction. A mass dependence function for light ions is derived, which for density dependent forces consists of a volume, a surface, a curvature, and a higher order correction term. For non-saturating forces, this has only the volume term and fails to account for the observed mass dependence.