# Is the unusual near-threshold potential behavior in elastic scattering of weakly bound nuclei a precision error?

## TL;DR

This paper provides a rigorous uncertainty quantification for elastic scattering of weakly bound nuclei near the Coulomb barrier, confirming the Coulomb threshold anomaly and addressing previous conflicting analyses.

## Contribution

It introduces a novel uncertainty quantification method for optical model potentials in elastic scattering near the Coulomb barrier.

## Key findings

- Uncertainty estimates are consistent with the Coulomb threshold anomaly.
- The analysis contrasts with previous studies suggesting different behaviors.
- Physical constraints improve the reliability of the optical model analysis.

## Abstract

We present the first example of a rigorous uncertainty quantification on elastic Nucleus-Nucleus scattering at energies near the Coulomb barrier. Experimental data has been analyzed using an energy dependent effective optical model potential with physical constraints imposed. We confirm the compatibility of these uncertainties with the well known Coulomb threshold anomaly, explained in terms of a dispersive relation, and contrast our results with previous analyses that suggest otherwise.