Chaos in heavy-ion dynamics at low energy

We discuss the quantum analog of classical chaotic scattering in the case of a collision between a deformed and a spherical nucleus. In agreement with previous investigations on model potentials, a firm correspondence between classical and quantal scattering is established: when wild oscillations in the classical deflection function are predicted, sharp irregular quantal fluctuations in the excitation functions and angular distributions appear. This behaviour occurs around the centrifugal barrier and for deformed light nuclei. Both in classical and quantum dynamics coexistence of regular and irregular motion is obtained. Chaotic scattering could be the natural explanation of those fluctuations observed in the experimental cross sections as a function of energy and scattering angle for light heavy-ion systems. (orig.)