Elastic and inelastic scattering of protons from Li between 25 and 45 MeV

The elastic and inelastic scattering of protons from ⁶Li has been studied at incident energies of 25.9, 29.9, 35.0, 40.1 and 45.4 MeV. The 2.18 MeV (3⁺, T = 0) first excited state of ⁶Li was found to be strongly excited, but the 3.56 MeV (0⁺, T = 1) second excited state was quite weakly excited. Angular distributions for excitation of the 2.18 MeV level were measured at all five energies, while angular distributions for excitation of the 3.56 MeV level were extracted only at 25.9 and 45.4 MeV. To test the applicability of the optical model for the scattering of protons from such a light nucleus the elastic scattering angular distributions have been analyzed using the eleven-parameter search code SEEK. Available polarization angular distributions were included in the analysis. Reasonable fits to the data have been obtained with an average geometry potential. Theoretical estimates of the real part of the optical potential and the inelastic scattering differential cross sections have been made using the microscopic model for proton-nucleus scattering. Both phenomenological and realistic forces have been considered and the necessary nuclear transition densities have been extracted from experimental elastic and inelastic electron scattering data. An estimate of a possible spin-spin term in the optical potential has also been made.