Algebraic coupled-channels formalism for heavy ions near the coulomb barrier.

The algebraic coupled-channels formalism based on SO(3,1) symmetry, originally proposed by Alhassid and Iachello (1989) for the description of heavyion reactions in the Fraunhofer diffraction regime, appears to be applicable also to reactions in the Fresnel regime, at the cost of some modifications, whose importance increases with decreasing energy and is crucial in the proximity of the Coulomb barrier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]