We investigate the inelastic coupling interaction by studying its effect on the elastic scattering potential, as determined by inverting the elastic scattering S matrix. We first address the effect upon the real and imaginary elastic potentials of including excited states of the target nucleus. We then investigate the effect of a recently introduced coupling potential that has been remarkably successful in reproducing the experimental data for the ${}^{12}\mathrm{C}{+}^{12}\mathrm{C},$ ${}^{12}\mathrm{C}{+}^{24}\mathrm{Mg},$ and ${}^{16}\mathrm{O}{+}^{28}\mathrm{Si}$ reactions over a wide range of energies. This coupling potential has the effect of deepening the real elastic potential in the surface region, thereby explaining a common feature of many phenomenological potentials. It is suggested that one can relate this deepening to the superdeformed state of the compound nucleus ${}^{24}\mathrm{Mg}.$

• Received 22 August 2002

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.66.064602