Formal Theory of Heavy Ion Double Charge Exchange Reactions

Abstract

The theory of heavy ion double charge exchange (DCE) reactions $A(Z,N)\to A(Z\pm 2,N\mp 2)$ is recapitulated emphasizing the role of Double Single Charge Exchange (DSCE) and pion-nucleon Majorana DCE (MDCE) reactions. DSCE reactions are of second--order distorted wave character, mediated by isovector nucleon-nucleon (NN) interactions. The DSCE response functions resemble the nuclear matrix elements (NME) of $2\nu 2\beta$ decay. The MDCE process proceeds by a dynamically generated effective rank-2 isotensor interaction, defined by off--shell pion--nucleon DCE scattering. In closure approximation pion potentials and two--nucleon correlations are obtained, similar to the neutrino potentials and the intranuclear exchange of Majorana neutrinos in $0\nu 2 \beta$ Majorana double beta decay (MDBD).