Breakup probabilities and the optical potential in elastic deuteron scattering

We investigate the effect of the deuteron breakup on the optical potential for the elastic scattering of 56 MeV deuterons from $^{51}$V. The breakup probabilities calculated within the post-form distorted wave Born-approximation theory of breakup reactions are fitted to derive the contribution to the optical potential from the breakup channels. The breakup potentials are found to have large real as well as imaginary parts. Thus the dynamical polarization potential due to the breakup process is expected to modify strongly the real part of the optical potential calculated by the double folding model.