We present a microscopic analysis of the nuclear spin response to proton excitation by examining the specific case of the ${}_{}{}^{40}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Ca}$(p→,p→ ’) reaction. Recent results indicate that the spin-flip probability decreases with an increase in the incident proton energy from $E_p$=319 to 800 MeV but otherwise maintains the essential features of an enhancement at high excitation and a quenching at low excitation. We show that this feature is consistent with nuclear structure effects and is not likely to depend on the particular choice of proton beam energy. We also suggest that the decrease in spin-flip cross section with increasing $E_p$ is directly linked to the energy dependence of the t-matrix coefficients and conclude by presenting predictions for cross sections at lower incident proton energy.

• Received 20 March 1989

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.40.453