Elastic and inelastic scattering of alpha particles from /sup 40,44 /Ca over a broad range of energies and angles

Angular distributions for alpha -particle elastic scattering by /sup 40,44/Ca and excitation of the 3.73 MeV 3/sup -/ collective state of /sup 40/Ca were measured for incident energies ranging from 40 to 62 MeV. An extensive optical model analysis of these elastic scattering cross sections and other available data, using squared Woods-Saxon form factors, results in potentials with fixed geometry for both real and imaginary parts and depths with smooth energy behavior over a broad incident energy range. These results are discussed in the frame of the semi-classical approximation developed by Brink and Takigawa (1977). The sensitiveness of the calculated elastic scattering cross sections to the real part of the potentials as a function of the projectile-target distance has been investigated by means of a notch test. Distorted-wave Born-approximation calculations for the excitation of the 3.73 MeV 3/sup -/ state of /sup 40/Ca are presented.