Classical and quantum approach to light-particle correlations in intermediate-energy heavy-ion reactions

We present classical and quantum approaches to light-particle correlations. The calculations are compared with p-p and p-d correlation functions measured at backward angles in the reaction ${}_{}{}^{40}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Ar}$ ${+}^{108}$Ag at 44 MeV/nucleon. The predictions of both classical and quantum models are found to be in good agreement with experimental data. The extracted values of the mean time delay between emissions of two particles are (2.0±0.5)×${10}^{\mathrm{-}21}$ s for p-p and (3.5±1.5)×${10}^{\mathrm{-}21}$ s for p-d pairs. The differences between the two approaches became significant for emission time scales shorter than ${10}^{\mathrm{-}21}$ s. In this case the classical model predicts a noticeable influence of the Coulomb field of the emitter on the p-d correlation function. On the other hand, the quantum calculation shows an increasing importance of the two-particle nuclear interaction.