Polarization in Heavy-Ion Inelastic Scattering in the Coulomb-Nuclear Interference Region

The polarization in the region of Coulomb-nuclear interference has been determined from the $\gamma$-ray correlation following excitation of the 856-keV $2^{+}$ state in ${}_{}{}^{56}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Fe}$ by 43-MeV ${}_{}{}^{16}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{O}$ ions. Elastic and inelastic scattering cross sections were also measured. Dramatic interference effects are observed in the transition amplitudes which can be reproduced by coupled-channel distorted-wave calculations.