Search for color van der Waals force in $^{208}$Pb+$^{208}$Pb Mott scattering

In a high precision experiment, Mott scattering of the 208Pb+108Pb system was measured at Elab=873.40 MeV and 1129.74 MeV with kinematic coincidences for angle pairs around θlab=30°, 60° and θlab=45°, 45°. The observed Mott oscillations exhibit an angular shift with respect to pure Mott scattering. A comparison with the angular shift produced by a color van der Waals force including nuclear polarizability, vacuum polarization, relativistic effects, and electronic screening provides a new upper limit for the strength of this force. Influence of atomic effects other than screening were identified for the first time.