Study of the neon interaction cross section using the Glauber model

Abstract

Working within the framework of the Coulomb-modified correlation expansion for the Glauber model S-matrix, we calculate the interaction cross section ( $\sigma_{I}$ ) of neon isotopes, 17-32Ne, on 12C at 240 MeV/nucleon. The calculations involve i) up to the two-body density term in the correlation expansion, and ii) the single Gaussian approximation for the nucleon-nucleon amplitude. The colliding nuclei are described with Slater determinants consisting of the harmonic oscillator single-particle wave functions. The sole input of the density of each colliding nucleus, the oscillator constant, is fixed from the respective root-mean-square (rms) radius calculated using the relativistic mean-field approach. It is found that the calculated results for $\sigma_{I}$ generally provide fairly good agreement with the experimental data except for 31Ne, for which the required rms neutron radius comes closer to the one obtained earlier using the extended (halo-like) neutron density distribution. This finding is also supported by our predicted differential cross section of 31Ne on 12C at 240 MeV/nucleon. However, as expected, the results of the present analysis are unable to discriminate between the halo and non-halo structure of 31Ne. In conclusion, our results suggest that the present calculations can be considered as a good starting point to predict the rms matter radii of exotic neutron-rich nuclei.