Nucleon-Nucleon Optical Model for Energies to 3 GeV

Several nucleon-nucleon potentials, Paris, Nijmegen, Argonne, and those derived by quantum inversion, which describe the NN interaction for T Lab 300 MeV are extended in their range of application as NN optical models. Extensions are made in r-space using complex separable potentials de nable with a wide range of form factor options including those of boundary condition models. We use the latest phase shift analyses SP00 (FA00, WI00) of Arndt et al. from 300 MeV to 3 GeV to determine these extensions. The imaginary parts of the optical model interactions account for loss of ux into direct or resonant production processes. The optical potential approach is of particular value as it permits one to visualize fusion, and subsequent ssion, of nucleons when T Lab > 2 GeV. We do so by calculating the scattering wave functions to specify the energy and radial dependences of ux losses and of probability distributions. Furthermore, half-o the energy shell t-matrices are presented as they are readily deduced with this approach