Abstract
This thesis is concerned for the most part with a microscopic description of alpha-particle scattering as a means of studying nuclear structure. Both elastic and inelastic scattering are considered. Elastic scattering is analysed in terms of the usual optical model and inelastic scattering by both coupled channels and distorted wave Born approximation (DWBA) methods. The target nuclei are described in terms of the simple shell model and an effective alpha-nucleon interaction related to the free proton-alpha elastic scattering. The nuclei considered are Ca[42] and Ti[50] which in terms of the simple shell model are described as a closed core plus two identical extra core nucleons. Differences found between the structure of the two nuclei are noted. The results of the microscopic description of elastic scattering are compared with results found in a conventional phenomenological optical model analysis. In the phenomenological analysis the criteria for the selection of optical potentials are studied in some detail and new criteria proposed. The results of the microscopic description of inelastic scattering are compared with rotational model calculations. Differences between the results found by coupled channels and DWBA methods are noted together with their relative merits. The microscopic description of inelastic scattering is considered in conjunction with both microscopic and phenomenological optical potentials. The effects that the choice of optical potential has on inelastic scattering are examined. The extent to which the microscopic model can yield nuclear structure information, its sensitivity and its limitations are discussed. Further extensions of this work are suggested.