Heavy-ion charge-exchange reactions and the measurement of Gamow-Teller strength

The applicability of intermediate-energy heavy-ion charge-exchange reactions for measuring Gamow-Teller strength in nuclei is studied. A strong absorption model for such reactions is developed. Within the framework of this model, we define a sensitivity function which determines the important region of the target transition density in momentum space. It is found that the L=0 cross section provides a relatively model-independent measure of Gamow-Teller strength. An understanding of the large L=2 cross sections observed in heavy-ion-induced reactions is achieved. Specific application is made to the ${(}^{12}$C, ${}_{}{}^{12}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{B}$) reaction at E/A=70 MeV.