Scattering of polarized ⁷Li by ¹²⁰Sn and projectile-target spin-dependent interactions

Scattering of ⁷Li by ¹²⁰Sn targets at E_lab = 44 MeV is investigated in the coupled-channel frame by taking account of the projectile virtual excitations to the lowest three excited states. Calculations are performed by the cluster-folding (CF) interactions and the double-folding (DF) one. Both interactions reproduce very well the experimental data on the cross section, the vector analyzing power, the second-rank tensor ones and the third-rank tensor one in elastic and projectile inelastic scattering, although some differences are found between the CF results and the DF ones. In the calculation, the virtual excitations of the projectile are important for most of the analyzing powers and the spin-orbit interaction is indispensable for the vector analyzing power. These features are in contrast to those in ⁷Li-⁵⁸Ni scattering at 20 MeV and are interpreted as over-Coulomb-barrier effects. The scattering amplitudes and the analyzing powers are investigated by the invariant amplitude method, which provides a key connecting the spin-dependent interactions to the analyzing powers. The method proposes an important relationship between the tensor analyzing powers, which is useful in analyses of both theoretical and experimental results. Finally, it is found that in the elastic scattering the second-rank tensor analyzing powers are proportional to the strength of the second-rank tensor interaction and the vector and third-rank tensor analyzing powers to the square or cube of the strength of this interaction, while in the inelastic scattering the cross section is proportional to the square of the strength of the tensor interaction, other quantities being weakly dependent on the strength.