Limiting Value for the Width Controlling the Coupling of Collective Vibrations to the Compound Nucleus

Abstract

We show that the damping of nuclear collective excitations in the regime of chaotic intrinsic dynamics is well described by the coupling to doorway states. Subsequent collision processes which eventually lead the system into the compound nucleus eigenstates do not increase the damping width. We also argue that the damping width of collective excitations in nuclei does not increase without bounds as the excitation of the nucleus is increased, but acquires a limiting value.