Semiclassical calculation of heavy-ion scattering in the chaotic regime

The semiclassical approach has proven to be a most valuable tool for the construction of the scattering matrix and accurate evaluation of cross sections in a large variety of heavy-ion collision problems. In its familiar implementation, however, its use is restricted to what is now known as the "regular regime", as it makes use of classical reaction functions that must be continuous and interpolable. In this paper we identify what version of the semiclassical formalisms may be especially suitable for extension into the chaotic regime that develops at energies close to the Coulomb barrier. We also show the crucial role of the absorptive part of the ion-ion potential to retain the usefulness of the semiclassical methods under conditions of irregularity.