Abstract
A quantitative analysis of spin-orbit and alignment effects for nucleon knockout reactions, in the formalism of the Transfer to the Continuum model, is presented. Our choice of the neutron-target and core-target interactions is based on microscopic interactions and comparison with nucleus-nucleus and nucleon-nucleus scattering data. The sensitivity of one nucleon knockout cross-sections to these interactions is studied, and calculations are presented in an improved numerical approach. Our results show a strong sensitivity to the range of the core-target interaction, that could be significant in the calculation of single particle integrated cross-sections and spectroscopic factors. The effect of the spin-orbit interaction is shown to be of no importance. In addition, the analytical approximations carried out in the literature of the TC model are proved to work satisfactorily. The problem of the effect of alignment in the projectile angular momentum on the cross-section is then addressed. We establish the formalism of the calculation of analysing powers in nucleon knockout reactions in the TC model, and discuss several test cases. We show that analysing powers can reach large values. This could produce sizeable effects in the cross-section if the incident beam is polarized. Our results suggest that analysing powers could be used as spectroscopic tools. Moreover, polarization observables show in general very little sensitivity to input parameters. As an application of this formalism, we consider the case of the fragment being left in an excited state, and calculate the angular distribution of the associated gamma-radiation. In agreement with previous results, we show the potential utility of this angular distribution in spectroscopic studies.