On the use of Regge-pole analyses to extract possible quasi molecular rotational bands from elastic heavy ion cross sections

If a rotational band extends above a breakup threshold, its members will be resonances rather than bound states. If in addition they are sufficiently broad to overlap, their relative phases and amplitudes will determine the way in which they interfere with one another in scattering and reaction cross sections. It is pointed out that a Regge pole provides a convenient and economical parametrization of these amplitudes.