Elastic scattering of protons by 12C at low energies

Differential cross sections for the elastic scattering of protons by 12C have been measured at energies between 1.5 and 4.0 MeV, in steps of 0.5 MeV, in order to search for a possible cluster structure in light nuclei. The experimental results have been compared with the predictions of the optical model, which fit the general trend of the data. Some discrepancies at small angles have been found. The presence of correlations between the cross-sections of the 4He(p,p) reaction and a suitable function of the elastic-scattering cross-sections for protons on 12C has been investigated. The results of this analysis to confirm that the structures in the experimental cross-sections (not accounted for by the optical model) are correlated to the behaviour of the 4He(p,p) cross-section at the same energies