Coulomb excitation

(nuclear physics) Inelastic scattering of a positively charged particle by a nucleus and excitation of the nucleus, caused by the interaction of the nucleus with the rapidly changing electric field of the bombarding particle.

Nuclear excitation caused by the time-dependent long-ranged electric field acting between colliding nuclei. Theoretically, the Coulomb force between the positively charged colliding nuclei is well understood, and the interaction is exactly calculable. Coulomb excitation usually is the dominant reaction in nuclear scattering, and even occurs at low bombarding energies where the separation of the nuclei is sufficiently large that the short-ranged nuclear force does not act. See also Coulomb's law.

Coulomb excitation plays a vital role in probing the response of both shape and volume collective modes of motion as well as the interplay of single-particle degrees of freedom of the nuclear many-body system. The goal of this work is to develop better models of nuclear structure and to elucidate the underlying nuclear force. See also Nuclear structure.