Search

The complete fusion of $^6$Li with $^{28}$Si and $^{64}$Ni nuclei, ranging from subbarrier energies up to values well above the Coulomb barrier, is studied using the continuum discretized coupled channels method. We investigate the sensitivity of the results to the largest energy used in the discretization of the continuum, including closed channels. Our results reveal that, as long as the states in the continuum are not limited to too small energies, the specific upper bound adopted is not relevant as the complete fusion cross-section is fairly insensitive to it above a threshold. Convergence with respect to this parameter is rapidly reached, so that closed channels play a role only at low collision energies. A good agreement with the available experimental data is obtained.

We present an improved version of the Wong formula for heavy-ion fusion, where the parameters of the parabolic approximation of the Coulomb barrier are replaced by parameters of the l-dependent potential at an effective partial-wave. A pocket formula for this l-dependence is given. This version reproduces the fusion cross sections of quantum mechanical calculations very well, even when the original Wong formula is not valid. The same procedure is used to derive an improved expression for the classical fusion cross section, which is very accurate at above-barrier energies. Based on this classical expression, we propose a new method to reduce fusion data in this energy range. This method is used to perform a comparative study of complete fusion suppression in collisions of weakly bound projectiles. This study indicates that the suppression of complete fusion is essentially due to the action of nuclear breakup couplings.

We present a detailed discussion of a recently proposed method to evaluate complete and incomplete fusion cross sections for weakly bound systems. The method is applied to collisions of $^{7}$Li projectiles on different heavy targets, and the results are compared with the available data. The overall agreement between experiment and theory is fairly good., Comment: 18 pages, 18 figures

A semi-classical approximation has been a powerful tool in understanding the dynamics of low-energy heavy-ion reactions. Here we discuss two topics in this regard, for which Mahir Hussein was a world leading pioneer. The first topic is heavy-ion fusion reactions of neutron-rich nuclei, in which the breakup process of the projectile nucleus plays a crucial role. The second is rainbow and glory scattering, for which characteristic oscillatory patterns in differential cross sections can be well understood in terms of intereferences among several semi-classical trajectories., Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures. A contribution to the topical issue "Cluster structure and dynamics of nuclei - A tribute to Mahir Hussein", to be published in Euro. Phys. J. A

In this review paper we present a detailed account of the extraction and the calculation of the total reaction cross section of strongly bound and weakly bound, stable and unstable, exotic, nuclei. We discuss the optical model and the more general coupled channels model of direct reactions. The effect of long-range absorption due to the coupling to excited states in the target and to the breakup continuum in the projectile is also discussed. The generalized optical theorem for charged particle scattering and the resulting sum-of differences method is then discussed. The so-called "quarter-point recipe" is discussed next, and the quarter-point angle is introduced as a simple and rapid mean to obtain the total reaction cross section. The last topic discussed is the reduction of the total reaction cross section that would allow a large body of data to sit on a single universal function. Such a universal function exists in the case of the fusion data, and the aim of this last topic of the review is to extend the fusion case to the total reaction, by adding the direct reaction contribution. Also discussed is the inclusive breakup cross section and how it can be used to extract the total reaction cross section of the interacting fragment with the target. This method is also known as the Surrogate method and represents a case of hybrid reactions. The sum of the integrated inclusive breakup cross section with the complete fusion cross section supplies the total fusion cross section. The main experimental methods to determine the total reaction cross section are also discussed, with emphasis in recent techniques developed to deal with reactions induced by unstable beams., Comment: 43 pages, 27 figures, submitted to EPJA (under review)

We propose a new quantum mechanical method to evaluate complete and incomplete fusion in collisions of weakly bound nuclei. The method is applied to the $^{7}{\rm Li}+^{209}{\rm Bi}$ system and the results are compared to experimental data. The overall agreement between theory and experiment is very good, above and below the Coulomb barrier., Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures

We use an improved version of the semiclassical method described in Refs. [1,2,3] to evaluate fusion cross sections in collisions of weakly bound nuclei. This version takes into account the static effects of the low breakup threshold, uses better bin states in the discretization of the continuum and avoids the excitation of closed channels. The population of these channels is a consequence of the violation of energy conservation, which is inherent in the semiclassical method. The method is employed to evaluate complete fusion and total fusion cross section in collisions of the weakly bound 6,7Li projectiles with 159Tb and 197Au targets, for which data is available. The overall agreement between theory and experiment is fairly good., Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures

We carefully compare the one-dimensional WKB barrier tunneling model, and the one-channel Sch\"odinger equation with a complex optical potential calculation of heavy-ion fusion, for a light and a heavy system. It is found that the major difference between the two approaches occurs around the critical energy, above which the effective potential for the grazing angular momentum ceases to exhibit a pocket. The value of this critical energy is shown to be strongly dependent on the nuclear potential at short distances, on the inside region of the Coulomb barrier, and this dependence is much more important for heavy systems. Therefore the nuclear fusion process is expected to provide information on the nuclear potential in this inner region. We compare calculations with available data to show that the results are consistent with this expectation., Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures

In this paper we revisit the one-dimensional tunnelling problem. We consider different approximations for the transmission through the Coulomb barrier in heavy ion collisions at near-barrier energies. First, we discuss approximations of the barrier shape by functional forms where the transmission coefficient is known analytically. Then, we consider Kemble's approximation for the transmission coefficient. We show how this approximation can be extended to above-barrier energies by performing the analytical continuation of the radial coordinate to the complex plane. We investigate the validity of the different approximations considered in this paper by comparing their predictions for transmission coefficients and cross sections of three heavy ion systems with the corresponding quantum mechanical results., Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures

In this paper we revisit the one-dimensional tunneling problem. We consider Kemble's approximation for the transmission coefficient. We show how this approximation can be extended to above-barrier energies by performing the analytical continuation of the radial coordinate to the complex plane. We investigate the validity of this approximation by comparing their predictions for the cross section and for the barrier distribution with the corresponding quantum mechanical results. We find that the extended Kemble's approximation reproduces the results of quantum mechanics with great accuracy., Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, in press, in European. Phys. Journal A (2017)

We propose the use of neutron poisons in reactions induced by radioactive beams as a test of theoretical models aiming to relate neutron capture in nuclei with neutron surrogate reactions such as (d,p) reactions. We exploit the approximations necessary to obtain a direct relation between the two reactions; surrogate vs. neutron capture. We also show how this is intimately related to the momentum distribution of the neutron within the deuteron. The models we use are based on the theory of inclusive breakup reactions commonly employed in the treatment of incomplete fusion and surrogate method. Such theories were developed in the 80's by Ichimura, Autern and Vincent [Phys. Rev. C 32, 431 (1985)], Udagawa and Tamura [Phys. Rev. C 24, 1348 (1981)] and Hussein and McVoy [Nucl. Phys. A 445, 124 (1985)]. We use these theories to derive an expression for the proton yield in the reaction A(d,p)B. The capture reaction $n + A \rightarrow B$ is then extracted using reasonable approximations. By recalling an old method proposed by Serber [Phys. Rev. 80, 1098 (1950); Nature 166, 709 (1950)] we explain how the momentum distribution of neutrons within the deuteron will depend on the short-range dependence of the nucleon-nucleon force. The relevance of our work to nucleosynthesis in the rapid neutron capture process is emphasized., Comment: 16 pages, 4 figures

The scattering of identical nuclei at low energies exhibits conspicuous Mott oscillations which can be used to investigate the presence of components in the predominantly Coulomb interaction arising from several physical effects. It is found that at a certain critical value of the Sommerfeld parameter the Mott oscillations disappear and the cross section becomes quite flat. We call this effect Transverse Isotropy (TI). The critical value of the Sommerfeld parameter at which TI sets in is found to be $\eta_{c} = \sqrt{3s +2}$, where $s$ is the spin of the nuclei participating in the scattering. No TI is found in the Mott scattering of identical Fermionic nuclei. The critical center of mass energy corresponding to $\eta_c$ is found to be $E_c$ = 0.40 MeV for $\alpha + \alpha$ (s = 0) , 1.2 MeV for $^{6}$Li + $^{6}$LI (s = 1) and 7.1 MeV for $^{10}$B + $^{10}$B (s = 3). We further found that the inclusion of the nuclear interaction induces a significant modification in the TI. We suggest measurements at these sub-barrier energies for the purpose of extracting useful information about the nuclear interaction between light heavy ions. We also suggest extending the study of the TI to the scattering of identical atomic ions., Comment: 9 pages, one figure, To be published in a special issue of Few Body Systems, "Weakly Bound Exotic Nuclei: Challenges for structure and reactions". This special issue is dedicated to the proceedings of a Workshop on Weakly-Bound Exotic Nuclei,Sunday, May 24 - Saturday, May 30, 2015 Natal, RN - Brazi

We have performed CDCC calculations for collisions of $^{7}$Li projectiles on $^{59}$Co, $^{144}$Sm and $^{208}$Pb targets at near-barrier energies, to assess the importance of the Coulomb and the nuclear couplings in the breakup of $^{7}$Li, as well as the Coulomb-nuclear interference. We have also investigated scaling laws, expressing the dependence of the cross sections on the charge and the mass of the target. This work is complementary to the one previously reported by us on the breakup of $^{6}$Li. Here we explore the similarities and differences between the results for the two Lithium isotopes. The relevance of the Coulomb dipole strength at low energy for the two-cluster projectile is investigated in details., Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures

We investigate the $^9$Be + $^{208}$Pb elastic scattering, breakup and fusion at energies around the Coulomb barrier. The three processes are described simultaneously, with identical conditions of calculations. The $^{9}$Be nucleus is defined in an $\alpha + \alpha$ + n three-body model, using the hyperspherical coordinate method. We first analyze spectroscopic properties of $^9$Be, and show that the model provides a fairly good description of the low-lying states. The scattering with $^{208}$Pb is then studied with the Continuum Discretized Coupled Channel (CDCC) method, where the $\alpha+\alpha$ + n continuum is approximated by a discrete number of pseudostates. Optical potentials for the $\alpha$+ $^{208}$Pb and n+ $^{208}$Pb systems are taken from the literature. We present elastic-scattering and fusion cross sections at different energies., Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, Proceedings of the International Conference on Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions, NN 2015, Catania-Italy. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1410.6410

We investigate the 9Be + 208Pb elastic scattering and fusion at energies around the Coulomb barrier. The $^9$Be nucleus is described in a \alpha + \alpha + n three-body model, using the hyperspherical coordinate method. The scattering with $^{208}$Pb is then studied with the Continuum Discretized Coupled Channel (CDCC) method, where the \alpha + \alpha + n continuum is approximated by a discrete number of pseudostates. Optical potentials for the $\alpha+^{208}$Pb and $n+^{208}$Pb systems are taken from the literature. We present elastic-scattering and fusion cross sections at different energies, and investigate the convergence with respect to the truncation of the \alpha + \alpha + n continuum. A good agreement with experiment is obtained, considering that there is no parameter fitting. We show that continuum effects increase at low energies., Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures. Submitted to the proceedings of the "NUBA Conference Series -1: Nuclear Physics and Astrophysics" Adrasan-Antalya, Turkey, September 15-21, 2014

We investigate the possible disappearance of Mott oscillations in the scattering of bosonic nuclei at sub-barrier energies. This effect is universal and happens at a critical value of the Sommerfeld parameter. It is also found that the inclusion of the short-range nuclear interaction has a profound influence on this phenomenon. Thus we suggest that the study of this lack of Mott oscillation, which we call, "transverse isotropy" is a potentially useful mean to study the nuclear interaction., Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures. Submitted to the Proceedings of "NUBA Conference Series-1: Nuclear Physics and Astrophysics", Adrasan-Antalya, Turkey, September 15 -21, 2014

We investigate the possible disappearance of Mott oscillations in the scattering of bosonic nuclei at sub-barrier energies. This effect is universal and happens at a critical value of the Sommerfeld parameter. It is also found that the inclusion of the short-range nuclear interaction has a profound influence on this phenomenon. Thus we suggest that the study of this lack of Mott oscillation, which we call, ``transverse isotropy" is a potentially useful mean to study the nuclear interaction., Comment: 5 pages, 6 figures, Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. C (February, 2014)

We critically examine the differences among the different bare nuclear interactions used in near-barrier heavy ion fusion analysis and Coupled-Channels calculations, and discuss the possibility of extracting the barrier parameters of the bare potential from above-barrier data. We show that the choice of the bare potential may be critical for the analysis of the fusion cross sections. We show also that the barrier parameters taken from above barrier data may be very wrong., Comment: 8 pages, 3 tables, 8 figures. Submitted to Physical Review C

We investigate the nuclear and the Coulomb contributions to the breakup cross sections of $^6$Li in collisions with targets in different mass ranges. Comparing cross sections for different targets at collision energies corresponding to the same $E/V_{\mathrm{\scriptscriptstyle B}}$, we obtain interesting scaling laws. First, we derive an approximate linear expression for the nuclear breakup cross section as a function of $A_{\mathrm{% \scriptscriptstyle T}}^{1/3}$. We then confirm the validity of this expression performing CDCC calculations. Scaling laws for the Coulomb breakup cross section are also investigated. In this case, our CDCC calculations indicate that this cross section has a linear dependence on the atomic number of the target. This behavior is explained by qualitative arguments. Our findings, which are consistent with previously obtained results for higher energies, are important when planning for experiments involving exotic weakly bound nuclei., Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures Submitted to Physical Review C

We consider the influence of breakup channels on the complete fusion of weakly bound cluster-type systems in terms of dynamic polarization potentials. It is argued that the enhancement of the cross section at sub-barrier energies may be consistent with recent experimental observations that nucleon transfer, often leading to breakup, is dominant compared to direct breakup. The main trends of the experimental complete fusion cross sections are analyzed in the framework of the Dynamic Polarization Potential approach. The qualitative conclusions are supported by CDCC calculations including a sequential breakup channel, the one neutron stripping of $^7$Li followed by the breakup of $^6$Li., Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. Contribution to Cluster2012, Debrecen 24-28 September 2012, to appear in Journal of Physics Conference Proceedings Series (JPCS)

We have performed CDCC calculations for the $^{6}$Li + $^{59}$Co, $^{144}$Sm and $^{208}$Pb systems, to investigate the dependence of the relative importance of nuclear and Coulomb breakup on the target charge (mass) at near barrier energies. The calculations were in good agreement with the experimental elastic scattering angular distributions for these systems and then, their predictions to the nuclear, Coulomb and total breakup were investigated. Although the relative importance of the nuclear breakup is, as expected, larger for lighter targets, this effect is not very pronounced. We also investigate a scaling of the nuclear breakup with the target mass and we compare the predictions for the integrated total breakup cross sections with experimental fusion cross sections at similar energies., Comment: 7 pages, one table, 9 figures. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. C

We consider the influence of breakup channels on the complete fusion of weakly bound systems in terms of dynamic polarization potentials. It is argued that the enhancement of the cross section at sub-barrier energies may be consistent with recent experimental observations that nucleon transfer, often leading to breakup, is dominant compared to direct breakup. The main trends of the experimental complete fusion cross section for $^{6,7}$Li + $^{209}$Bi are analyzed in the framework of the DPP approach., Comment: 12 pages, 2 figures

The tunneling of composite systems, where breakup may occur during the barrier penetration process is considered in connection with the fusion of halo-like radioactive, neutron- and proton-rich nuclei on heavy targets. The large amount of recent and new data clearly indicates that breakup hinders the fusion at near and below the Coulomb barrier energies. However, clear evidence for the halo enhancements, seems to over ride the breakup hindrance at lower energies, owing, to a large extent, to the extended matter density distribution. In particular we report here that at sub-barrier energies the fusion cross section of the Borromean two-neutron halo nucleus $^{6}$He with the actinide nucleus $^{238}$U is significantly enhanced compared to the fusion of a no-halo $^{6}$He. This conclusion differs from that of the original work, where it was claimed that no such enhancement ensues. This sub-barrier fusion enhancement was also observed in the $^{6}$He + $^{209}$% Bi system. The role of the corresponding easily excitable low lying dipole pygmy resonance in these systems is therefore significant. The consequence of this overall enhanced fusion of halo nuclei at sub-barrier energies, on stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis is evident., Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures

We investigate the Coulomb phase shift, and derive and analyze new and more precise analytical formulae. We consider next to leading order terms to the Stirling approximation, and show that they are important at small values of the angular momentum $l$ and other regimes. We employ the uniform approximation. The use of our expressions in low energy scattering of charged particles is discussed and some comparisons are made with other approximation methods., Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures, 1 table

We investigate the influence of couplings among continuum states in collisions of weakly bound nuclei. For this purpose, we compare cross sections for complete fusion, breakup and elastic scattering evaluated by continuum discretized coupled channel (CDCC) calculations, including and not including these couplings. In our study, we discuss this influence in terms of the polarization potentials that reproduce the elastic wave function of the coupled coupled channel method in single channel calculations. We find that the inclusion of couplings among the continuum states renders the real part of the polarization potential more repulsive, whereas it leads to weaker apsorption to the breakup channel. We show that the non-inclusion of continuum-continuum couplings in CDCC calculations may not lead to qualitative and quantitative wrong conclusions., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev. C

We discuss the derivation of an equivalent \textit{l}-independent polarization potential for use in the optical Schr\"{o}dinger equation that describes the elastic scattering of heavy ions. Three diffferent methods are used for this purpose. Application of our theory to the low energy scattering of the halo nucleus $^{11}$Li from a $^{12}$C target is made. It is found that the notion of \textit{l}-independent polarization potential has some validity but can not be a good substitute for the \textit{l}-dependent local equivalent Feshbach polarization potential., Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures

We investigate the effect of Pauli non-locality in the heavy-ion optical potential on sub-barrier fusion reactions. The S\~{a}o Paulo potential, which takes into account the Pauli non-locality and has been widely used in analyzing elastic scattering, has also recently been applied to heavy-ion fusion. However, the approximation employed in deriving the S\~{a}o Paulo potential, based on the Perey-Buck semi-classical treatment of neutron induced reactions, must be assessed for charged particles tunneling through a barrier. It is the purpose of this note to look into this question. We consider the widely studied system $^{16}$O + $^{208}$Pb at energies that span the barrier region from 10 MeV below to 10 MeV above. It seems that the non-locality plays a minor role. We find the S\~{a}o Paulo potential to be quite adequate throughout the region., Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures

We review the theoretical methods to evaluate fusion cross sections in collisions of weakly bound nuclei. We piont out that in such collisions the coupling to the breakup channel leads to the appearance of different fusion processes. The extentsion of the coupled-channel method to coupling with the continuum is the most successful treatment for these collisions. However, evaluating separate cross section for each fusion process remains a very hard task., Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures. Invited talk (LFC) at the IX International Conference on Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions, Rio de Janeiro, August 28- September 1, 2006. Nuclear Physics A, in press

We describe a schematic coupled channels transfer calculation for the reaction 6He + 238U at near-barrier energies. We also present a simple semiclassical DWBA calculation of the two neutron transfer. Both calculations are meant to supply the conditions under which the transfer cross section becomes much larger than the complete fusion one at sub-barrier energies. It seems that a feasible mechanism is the incoherent contributions of two or more processes with quite different Q-vlaues., Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures

We describe a semiclassical treatment of nuclear fusion reactions involving weakly bound nuclei. In this treatment, the complete fusion probabilities are approximated by products of two factors: a tunneling probability and the probability that the system is in its ground state at the strong absorption radius. We investigate the validity of the method in a schematic two-channel application, where the channels in the continuum are represented by a single resonant state. Comparisons with full coupled-channels calculations are performed. The agreement between semiclassical and quantal calculations isquite good, suggesting that the procedure may be extended to more sophisticated discretizations of the continuum., Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures

The semiclassical Coulomb excitation interaction is at times expressed in the Lorentz gauge in terms of the electromagnetic fields and a contribution from the scalar electric potential. We point out that the potential term can make spurious contributions to excitation cross sections, especially when the the decay of excited states is taken into account. We show that, through an appropriate gauge transformation, the excitation interaction can be expressed in terms of the electromagnetic fields alone., Comment: 12 pages. Phys. Rev. C, Rapid Communication, in press

We obtain upper limits for the contributions of the incomplete fusion and sequential complete fusion processes to the total fusion cross section. Through those upper bounds we find that these processes are negligible in reactions induced by projectiles such as $^{6}$He and $^{11}$Li, which break up into neutrons and one fragment containing the full projectile charge., Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures

The semiclassical method of Alder and Winther is generalized to study fusion reactions. As an illustration, we evaluate the fusion cross section in a schematic two-channel calculation. The results are shown to be in good agreement with those obtained with a quantal Coupled-Channels calculation. We suggest that in the case of coupling to continuum states this approach may provide a simpler alternative to the Continuum Discretized Coupled-Channels method., Comment: 6 pages, 1 figure, invited talk at the International Symposium "A new era of Nuclear Structure Physics", Niigata, Japan, Nov. 19-22 2003

The excitation of multiphonon giant resonances with heavy ions is discussed. The conventional theory, based on the use of the virtual photon number method in conjunction with the harmonic model is presented and its shortcomings are discussed. The recently developed model that invoke the Brink-Axel mechanism as an important contribution to the cross-section is discussed and compared to the conventional, harmonic model. The decay properties of these multiple giant resonances are also discussed within the same coherent + fluctuation model in conjunction with the hybrid decay model. It is demonstrated that the Brink-Axel mechanism enhances the direct decay of the states, as data seem to require. Comparison of our model with other recent theoretical works is presented., Comment: 12 pages, four figures, two tables. Invited talk at the International Conference on Collective Motion in Nuclei Under Extreme Conditions (COMEX1), Paris, France, 10-13 June 2003

We investigate the influence of the neutron halo and the breakup channel in 6He + 238U fusion at near-barrier energies. To include static effects of the 2n-halo in 6He nuclei, we use a single-folding potential obtained from an appropriate nucleon-238U interaction and a realistic 6He density. Dynamical effects arising from the breakup process are then included through coupled-channel calculations. These calculations suggest that static effects dominate the cross section at energies above the Coulomb barrier, while the sub-barrier fusion cross section appears to be determined by coupling to the breakup channel. This last conclusion is uncertain due to the procedure employed to measure the fusion cross-section., Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures

We discuss the effect of the coupling to the break-up channel on the total fusion involving a halo nucleus with a heavy target. We show that there is a competition between the hindrance arising from this coupling, mostly at above barrier energies, and the enhancement which ensues at sub-barrier energies owing to the static effect of the extended matter distribution and the coupling to the soft modes., Comment: 7 pages,no figures

The role of anharmonic effects on the excitation of the double giant dipole resonance is investigated in a simple macroscopic model.Perturbation theory is used to find energies and wave functions of the anharmonic ascillator.The cross sections for the electromagnetic excitation of the one- and two-phonon giant dipole resonances in energetic heavy-ion collisions are then evaluated through a semiclassical coupled-channel calculation.It is argued that the variations of the strength of the anharmonic potential should be combined with appropriate changes in the oscillator frequency,in order to keep the giant dipole resonance energy consistent with the experimental value.When this is taken into account,the effects of anharmonicities on the double giant dipole resonance excitation probabilities are small and cannot account for the well-known discrepancy between theory and experiment.

We calculate the cross-section for the excitation and subsequent decay of triple giant resonances(TGDR) in several nuclei excited with heavy ions.The recently developed coherent plus incoherent theory for excitation in conjunction with the hybrid decay model of Dias-Hussein-Adhikari are used for the purpose.It is emphasized that the direct decay of TGDR is expected to deviate appreciably from the harmonic limit especially at low bombarding energies,owing to the incoherent contribution., Comment: 13 pages

We investigate the mean energy, strength and width of the triple giant dipole resonance using sum rules., Comment: 12 pages

Some commonly used approximations for complete fusion and breakup transmission coefficients in collisions of weakly bound projectiles at near barrier energies are assessed. We show that they strongly depend on the adopted classical trajectory and can be significantly improved with proper treatment of the incident and emergent currents in the WKB approximation., Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures

It is pointed out that the cross section for the scattering of identical charged bosons is isotropic over a broad angular range around 90 degrees when the Sommerfeld parameter has a critical value, which depends exclusively on the spin of the particle. A discussion of systems where this phenomenon can be observed is presented., Comment: 8 pages, RevTeX format, 2 figures (.eps format)

We develop a semiclassical theory for the long range excitation of plasmon resonances in atomic clusters, based on the doorway hypothesis. The effect of the width of the plasmon resonance is fully taken into account. As an application we study plasmon excitation in small Sodium clusters, in collisions with electrons and protons., Comment: 18 pages, 4 figures

We discuss the origin of the difference between the harmonic value of the width of the multiphonon giant resonances and the smaller observed value. Analytical expressions are derived for both the effective width and the average cross-section. The contribution of the Brink-Axel mechanism in resolving the discrepancy is pointed out., Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures