Deuteron-deuteron scattering above four-nucleon breakup threshold

TL;DR

This paper presents exact four-particle calculations of deuteron-deuteron scattering above the four-nucleon breakup threshold, incorporating realistic nuclear forces and Coulomb interactions, and compares results with experimental data.

Contribution

It provides the first exact four-particle solutions for this energy regime, including effects of breakup channels and advanced nuclear interaction models.

Findings

Good agreement with experimental differential cross sections

Breakup channels significantly affect scattering observables

Effective many-nucleon forces impact results

Abstract

Deuteron-deuteron elastic scattering and transfer reactions in the energy regime above four-nucleon breakup threshold are described by solving exact four-particle equations for transition operators. Several realistic nuclear interaction models are used, including the one with effective many-nucleon forces generated by the explicit $\Delta$-isobar excitation; the Coulomb force between protons is taken into account as well. Differential cross sections, deuteron analyzing powers, outgoing nucleon polarization, and deuteron-to-neutron polarization transfer coefficients are calculated at 10 MeV deuteron energy. Overall good agreement with the experimental data is found. The importance of breakup channels is demonstrated.