The differential and reaction cross sections for alpha–alpha elastic scattering at energies ranging from 50 to 120 MeV (lab. system) have been clearly explained for the first time, by using a new optical potential type. This potential, which is different from all other proposed potentials, is composed of two real parts: one is an attractive squared Woods–Saxon and the other is a repulsive core of the Woods–Saxon form in addition to a surface Woods–Saxon form for the imaginary part. The nature of the real part has been determined from available phase shifts through using inverse scattering theory for the identical particles at a fixed energy, adopting the framework of the Schrödinger equation. It is found that the repulsive real part is essential for improving the fit to the measured elastic differential cross sections, and in explaining the kink that appears at r < 1.0 fm in the shape of the real part of the potential. Using this new potential, our calculated reaction cross sections are in reasonable agreement with the ones reported by both Darriulat et al. (Phys. Rev. 137, B315 (1965). doi:10.1103/PhysRev.137.B315) and Brown and Tang (Nucl. Phys. A, 170, 225 (1971). doi:10.1016/0375-9474(71)90633-6 ).
Analyses of alpha–alpha elastic scattering data in the energy range 53.4–119.9 MeV