Eur. Phys. J. A (2025) 61: 214
https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/s10050-025-01695-2

Regular Article - Theoretical Physics

Nonlocal $N-\alpha$ potential

¹ Physics Department, The University of Jordan, 11942, Amman, Jordan
² Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Ibn Sina University for Medical Sciences, 16197, Amman, Jordan

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Received: 11 June 2025
Accepted: 8 September 2025
Published online: 23 September 2025

Abstract

We used a nonlocal potential to account explicitly for nonlocalities in the $N-\alpha$ scattering process. By fitting elastic $N-\alpha$ angular distributions, over the energy range $0.84-20.97$ MeV, we determined individual sets of nonlocal potential parameters and two global sets of fixed parameters one for $n-\alpha$ and the other for $p-\alpha$ elastic scattering. Our nonlocal potential model reproduced the elastic angular distributions for $N-\alpha$ and the total elastic cross section for $n-\alpha$ well. In addition, we calculated the nonlocal potential phase shifts corresponding to neutron and proton scattering off alpha particles. Our determined phase shifts are in good agreement with the experimental values. In addition, our nonlocal parameters reproduced the position of the $P3/2^{-}$ resonance for the $n-\alpha$ and $p-\alpha$ scattering processes well. Accounting explicitly for nonlocalities in the $N-\alpha$ interactions can benefit studies that consider the $t(d,N)\alpha$ fusion reactions. The $t(d,n)\alpha$ reaction is important for its 17.6 MeV energy yield per fusion reaction, for its carbon-free energy production. The less prominent reaction that leads to bremsstrahlung $\gamma$ radiation is important as it provides real-time diagnostics regarding the fusion reaction rate.