Airy structure in $^{16}$O+$^{14}$C nuclear rainbow scattering

TL;DR

This paper investigates the Airy structure in $^{16}$O+$^{14}$C nuclear rainbow scattering using an extended double folding model, revealing detailed energy evolution and clarifying the order of the Airy minimum at specific energies.

Contribution

The study provides a microscopic analysis of Airy structures in $^{16}$O+$^{14}$C scattering, assigning the second order Airy minimum at 132 MeV and predicting Airy elephants in the excitation function.

Findings

The second order Airy minimum at 132 MeV is identified as $A2$.

Airy minima in the 90° excitation function are analyzed and compared.

Prediction of Airy elephants in the 90° excitation function for the first time.

Abstract

The Airy structure in $^{16}$O+$^{14}$C rainbow scattering is studied with an extended double folding (EDF) model that describes all the diagonal and off-diagonal coupling potentials derived from the microscopic realistic wave functions for $^{16}$O using a density-dependent nucleon-nucleon force. The experimental angular distributions at $E_L$=132, 281 and 382.2 MeV are well reproduced by the calculations. By studying the energy evolution of the Airy structure, the Airy minimum at around $\theta$=76$^\circ$ in the angular distribution at $E_L$=132 MeV is assigned as the second order Airy minimum $A2$ in contrast to the recent literature which assigns it as the third order $A3$. The Airy minima in the 90$^\circ$ excitation function is investigated in comparison with well-known $^{16}$O+$^{16}$O and $^{12}$C+$^{12}$C systems. Evolution of the Airy structure into the molecular resonances with the $^{16}$O+$^{14}$C cluster structure in the low energy region around $E_{c.m.}$=30 MeV is discussed. It is predicted theoretically for the first time for a non-$4N$ $^{16}$O+$^{14}$C system that Airy elephants in the 90$^\circ$ excitation function are present.