Eur. Phys. J. A 13, 149-154 (2002)

Influence of entrance channel properties on heavy-ion reaction dynamics

D.J. Hinde, A.C. Berriman, R.D. Butt, M. Dasgupta, C.R. Morton, A. Mukherjee and J.O. Newton

Department of Nuclear Physics, R.S.Phys.S.E., Australian National University, ACT 0200, Australia

(Received: 1 May 2001)

Abstract
In the fusion of heavy nuclei, there is a distribution of fusion barrier energies resulting from coupling between intrinsic motion and internal degrees of freedom. Precise experimental measurements of excitation functions have allowed the extraction of the distributions by taking the second derivative using a point-difference method. In the case of statically deformed nuclei, experimental data shows that the different fusion barrier energies correspond to different physical configurations of the colliding nuclei, the latter affecting the subsequent dynamical trajectories over the potential energy surface, influencing the ultimate reaction products, as for example in quasi-fission. The fusion barrier distribution is also valuable in understanding the fusion of weakly bound nuclei, enabling a reliable prediction of the expected fusion cross-sections, and thus the determination of fusion suppression factors at above-barrier energies.

PACS
25.70.Jj - Fusion and fusion-fission reactions.

© Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag 2002