Toward relativistic mean-field description of $\bar{\text{N}}$-nucleus reactions

Abstract

In this work we study the antinucleon-nucleus optical potential in the framework of the non-linear derivative (NLD) model with momentum dependent mean-fields. We apply the NLD model to interaction of antinucleons ($\bar{\text{N}}$) in nuclear matter and, in particular, to antiproton scattering on nuclei. In nuclear matter a strong suppression of the $\bar{\text{N}}$-optical potential at rest and at high kinetic energies is found and caused by the momentum dependence of relativistic mean-fields. The NLD results are consistent with known empirical $\bar{\text{N}}$-nucleus observations and agree well with antiproton-nucleus scattering data. This makes the NLD approach compatible with both, nucleon and antinucleon Dirac phenomenologies. Furthermore, in nuclear matter an effective mass splitting between nucleons and antinucleons is predicted.