Multiple scattering, optical potential, and N-body approaches to elastic two-fragment collisions

Two-fragment elastic scattering problems are often studied using multiple scattering theories such as those due to Watson along with Feshbach-type optical potentials. These conventional methods are re-examined, rephased, and generalized using the language and techniques of contemporary N-particle scattering theory. A special realization of the latter theory is developed which is especially useful for relating the older and newer methods. This is facilitated by maintaining the same off-shell continuations of the scattering operators in both approaches. In particular, a set of connected-kernel scattering integral equations is introduced which provides a consistent N-particle framework for the calculation of that definition of the optical potential possessing the Feshbach off-shell continuation. These equations exhibit a multiple-scattering substructure and therefore allow the systematic generalization of some of the usual low-order approximations.