The excitation of giant multipole resonances in heavy nuclei by inelastic electron scattering

Abstract

The electroexcitation of various giant multipole resonances (E1, E2, E0) is discussed. The relative strength of the cross sections has been derived in Born approximation. It is shown that the E2 giant resonance should be observed experimentally very clearly at scattering angles of the electron of about 40°–50°, if the primary energy of the electrons is about 200 MeV. At these angles the tail of the strong E1 giant resonance can be depressed nearly completely. Since the cross sections for the excitation of E2 and E0 giant multipoles behave quite similarly as functions of the scattering angles, it seems impossible to distinguish between them. The monopole excitation cross section has also been calculated exactly by a phase shift analysis and compared with the results of the Born approximation.