Fusion dynamics around the Coulomb barrier

Abstract

We perform exact coupled-channels calculations, taking into account properly the effects of Coulomb coupling and the finite excitation energy of collective excitations in the colliding nuclei, for three Fm formation reactions, $^{37}$Cl + $^{209}$Bi, $^{45}$Sc + $^{197}$Au, and $^{59}$Co + $^{181}$Ta. For the $^{37}$Cl + $^{209}$Bi and $^{45}$Sc + $^{197}$Au reactions, those calculations well reproduce the experimental total fission cross sections, and a part of the extra-push phenomena can be explained in terms of the Coulomb excitations to multi-phonon states. On the other hand, for the heaviest system, the deep-inelastic collisions become much more significant, and the fission cross sections are strongly overestimated. We also discuss the surprisingly large surface diffuseness parameters required to fit recent high-precision fusion data for medium-heavy systems, in connection with the fusion supression observed in massive systems.

10 pages, 6 ps figures. Uses aipxfm.sty. A talk given at the Tours Symposium on Nuclear Physics V, August 26 - 29, 2003, Tours, France