The optical potentials and nuclear reaction cross sections for the $n$-$ ^{12}$C and $N$-$ ^{12}$C scattering

Abstract

In this work we extend a previously derived $n$- $^9$Be optical potential up to 500 MeV and apply it to the system $n$- $^{12}$C, finding excellent results for the energy dependence of the total cross sections. Results obtained with a standard optical model calculation are compared to those from the eikonal formalism in order to asses the accuracy of the latter as a function of the nucleon incident energy. For comparison, single folded (s.f.) nucleon-target potentials are also obtained using $^{12}$C densities from different models. These potentials are sensitive to the density used and none of them reproduce the characteristics of the phenomenological potential nor the cross section results. We then calculate nucleus-nucleus ($NN$) potentials and total reaction cross sections for some "normal" and exotic projectile nuclei on $ ^ {12} $C within the eikonal formalism. We find that single folded (S.F.) projectile-target imaginary potentials and double folded (D.F.) potentials can produce similar energy dependence of the reaction cross sections but the S.F. results agree better with experimental data provided the radius parameter of the phenomenological $n$-target potential is allowed to be energy dependent. We conclude that the results previously obtained for a $^9$Be target are quite general, at least for light systems, and that a S.F. $NN$ potential built on a phenomenological nN potential can constitute an interesting and useful alternative to D.F. potentials.