Distorted wave theory of the 50 MeV (p, 2p) reaction

Abstract

An attempt is made to answer the question whether distorting potentials that give really good fits to elastic scattering cross sections and total reaction cross sections for experiments in the relevant two-body subsystems can correctly give positions of maxima and minima in the (p, 2p) angular correlation. The 50 MeV energy range is chosen because the angular correlation is very sensitive to the distortion. It is found that the positions are correctly reproduced by good elastic scattering parameters for the reaction 89Y(p, 2p)88Sr, Q = 7.44 MeV, at 46 MeV. The shortcoming of the distorted wave theory at this energy, as at higher energies, is that the calculated ratio of the cross section at small angles to that at large angles is too large. Apart from this serious defect, the shape of the angular correlation for 12C(p, 2p)11B, Q = 16 MeV, at 50 MeV is also encouraging. Previous studies suggest that the defect can be corrected if a better description of the p-p t-matrix is used in the distorted wave theory.