https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/i2017-12257-x
Letter to the Editor
Elastic scattering phenomenology
School of Physical Sciences, The Open University, MK7 6AA, Milton Keynes, UK
* e-mail: raymond.mackintosh@open.ac.uk
Received:
3
February
2017
Accepted:
16
March
2017
Published online:
11
April
2017
We argue that, in many situations, fits to elastic scattering data that were historically, and frequently still are, considered “good”, are not justifiably so describable. Information about the dynamics of nucleon-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus scattering is lost when elastic scattering phenomenology is insufficiently ambitious. It is argued that in many situations, an alternative approach is appropriate for the phenomenology of nuclear elastic scattering of nucleons and other light nuclei. The approach affords an appropriate means of evaluating folding models, one that fully exploits available empirical data. It is particularly applicable for nucleons and other light ions.
© The Author(s), 2017