On the unabridged 7D-folding structure of the optical model potential for nucleon-nucleus scattering

Abstract

Microscopic optical model potentials for nucleon-nucleus collisions, based on density-dependent effective interactions, involve multi-dimensional integrals to ac- count for the Fermi motion of the bound nucleons of the target. If a spherical matter distribution is assumed, each matrix element of the optical potential in momentum space requires the evaluation of seven-dimensional integrals. Here we describe the structure of these potentials and report results from their actual evaluation. Results for the scatter- ing observables are compared with those based on alternative approximations, observing moderate sensitivity. These findings validate the use of simpler expressions to evaluate folding optical potentials, from which higher-order or unconventional effects in the effec- tive interaction can safely be investigated.