On the accuracy of WKB approximations for Coulomb excitation

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Abstract
The Coulomb excitation process is taken as an example to survey approximation methods used in the theory of nuclear reactions. Numerical calculations based on the WKB approximation were carried out and their results are compared with exact quantum-mechanical ones. The accuracy with which gamma ray angular-distribution tensors can be calculated is improved compared with older calculations. For most cross sections no substantial improvement has been achieved. Some of the methods may, however, become important when proper nuclear reactions have to be calculated.