RESUMO
The physical interpretation of nuclear rainbow scattering within the frame of the optical model is critically investigated. Starting from the properties of the Luneburg lens, a gradient index device that displays refractive features similar to those of the nuclear potential, important differences between the mechanisms producing the nuclear and optical rainbows are pointed out.
RESUMO
Taking 16O+16O elastic scattering at 124 MeV as an example, we show that a barrier-wave-internal-wave decomposition of the elastic scattering amplitude provides valuable information on the light heavy-ion interaction and complements the more conventional nearside-farside decomposition. In particular, we show that the Airy minima present in the angular distributions are due to a barrier-wave-internal-wave interference mechanism, which sheds additional light on the exceptional transparency displayed by some light heavy-ion scattering systems. Extension of these ideas to other fields, like atomic and molecular collision physics, could prove rewarding.
