On the Analysis of Intermediate-Energy Coulomb Excitation Experiments

TL;DR

This paper clarifies the validity of analysis methods for intermediate-energy Coulomb excitation experiments, demonstrating that previous large deviations were due to incorrect parameters and confirming the equivalence of certain approximate formulas.

Contribution

The paper refutes claims that analysis methods are invalid, showing that proper parameter use yields consistent results and clarifies the relationship between different theoretical approaches.

Findings

Incorrect parameters caused large deviations in previous analyses

Proper parameter use aligns results with established theories

The approximate expression is equivalent to Winther and Alder's theory

Abstract

In a recent publication (Bertulani et al., PLB 650 (2007) 233 and arXiv:0704.0060v2) the validity of analysis methods used for intermediate-energy Coulomb excitation experiments was called into question. Applying a refined theory large corrections of results in the literature seemed needed. We show that this is not the case and that the large deviations observed are due to the use of the wrong experimental parameters. We furthermore show that an approximate expression derived by Bertulani et al. is in fact equivalent to the theory of Winther and Alder (NPA 319 (1979) 518), an analysis method often used in the literature.