Velocity-dependent optical potential for neutron elastic scattering from1p-shell nuclei

Abstract

Background: The conventional optical model is quite successful in describing the nucleon elastic scattering data from medium and heavy nuclei. However, its success in describing the light $1p$-shell nuclei is somewhat limited. The velocity-dependent optical potential resulted in a significant improvement in describing the elastic angular distributions for light nuclei in the low energy region.Purpose: To extend the formalism of the velocity-dependent potential to higher energies, and to assess its importance in describing neutron elastic scattering data from light $1p$-shell nuclei at high energies.Method: We fit the angular distribution data for neutron elastic scattering from $^{12}\mathrm{C}$ and $^{16}\mathrm{O}$ using (i) the velocity-dependent optical potential and (ii) the conventional optical potential. The results of the two models are then compared. At low energies, we compare our angular distribution fits with the fits of other works that exist in the literature. Furthermore, the total integrated cross sections in addition to the analyzing power are calculated using the velocity-dependent optical potential and compared to the experimental data.Results: The velocity-dependent potential resulted in significant improvements in describing the angular distributions particularly in the large-angle scattering region and for certain energy ranges. This model is important where the experimental data show structural effects from nuclear surface deformations, which are important in light nuclei. Furthermore, the calculated total elastic cross sections and analyzing power are in good agreement with the experimental data.Conclusions: The velocity-dependent potential gives rise to surface-peaked real terms in the optical model. Such terms account, at least partly, for the structural effects seen in the angular distribution data. The energy range over which the surface terms are needed is found to depend on the target nucleus. Other works that have introduced real surface terms in the optical potential are discussed.