Microscopic optical model calculations and uncertainty estimates

Full text: The optical model is a basic ingredient of almost all reaction calculations. Therefore, a great effort has been devoted to its microscopic determination. Among the various attempts the nuclear matter approach with its various facets works surprisingly well even at low energies about 20 MeV. In the present contribution a comparison of elastic differential and integral cross sections and polarization data with theoretical results is given for structure materials. Possible procedures for assigning uncertainties to calculated observables are discussed. (author)