Study of refractive structure in the inelastic O16+O16 scattering at the incident energies of 250 to 1120 MeV

The data of inelastic O16+O16 scattering to the lowest 2+ and 3− excited states of O16 have been measured at Elab=250,350,480,704 and 1120 MeV and analyzed consistently in the distorted wave Born approximation (DWBA), using the semi-microscopic optical potentials and inelastic form factors given by the folding model, to reveal possible refractive structure of the nuclear rainbow that was identified earlier in the elastic O16+O16 scattering channel at the same energies. Given the known transition strengths of the 21+ and 31− states of O16 well determined from the (e,e′) data, the DWBA description of the inelastic data over the whole angular range was possible only if the absorption in the exit channels is significantly increased (especially, for the O16+O2+∗16 exit channel). Although the refractive pattern of the inelastic O16+O16 scattering was found to be less pronounced compared to that observed in the elastic scattering channel, a clear remnant of the main rainbow maximum could still be seen in the inelastic cross section at Elab=350-704MeV.