Which degrees of freedom play a role in multinucleon transfer processes?

A presentation of some recent significant results obtained in the field of multinucleon transfer reactions at Coulomb barrier energies is given. The comparison of the experimental observables with the predictions of theoretical models treating quasi-elastic and deep-inelastic processes on the same ground reveals interesting features of the reaction mechanisms not clearly identified in the past.     

Transfer reactions and sub-barrier fusion in 40Ca + 90, 96Zr

The two systems ⁴⁰Ca + ^90,96Zr have been studied by measuring nucleon transfer reactions at two energies near the Coulomb barrier, thus complementing the available sub-barrier fusion cross-sections. Angular distributions for various transfer channels have been determined. Significantly larger neutron transfer cross-sections are found for the target ⁹⁶Zr that exhibits the larger enhancement in the sub-barrier fusion cross-sections. All data have been analyzed with a new model for heavy-ion collisions that calculates simultaneously transfer cross-sections, fusion excitation functions and barrier distributions. The model gives a good account of both transfer and fusion data. Received: 2 May 2002 / Accepted: 4 June 2002 / Published online: 26 November 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: montagnoli@pd.infn.it, Fax +39049 8277102, Tel. +39049 8277117. RID="b" ID="b"On leave from the China Institute for Atomic Energy, 102413 Beijing, China. Communicated by C. Signorini     

The heavy-ion magnetic spectrometer PRISMA

PRISMA is a magnetic spectrometer installed at Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro (Italy) and designed for A=100–200, E=5–10 MeV-per-nucleon beams, and for possible use with the proposed radioactive beam facility SPES. The foremost features of the instrument are presented, along with the outline of two data analyses exemplifying the effectiveness of PRISMA-CLARA in studies of reaction dynamics.     

Elastic scattering of Ni+Ni near the Coulomb barrier

Elastic scattering angular distributions have been measured for ⁵⁸Ni+⁶⁴Ni at three energies around the Coulomb barrier employing a new kinematic coincidence technique. The data are compared with the results of coupled-channels calculations including inelastic excitations as well as one-and two-neutron transfer reactions. The agreement is good and the calculations also agree well with the available transfer and fusion reaction data.     

Near-barrier transfer and fusion of the systems33S +90,91,92Zr

Double differential cross sections of all prominent transfer channels have been measured in the systems³³S +^99,91,92Zr at two energies close to the nominal Coulomb barrier. In addition the fusion excitation functions of these systems have been measured below and around the barrier. The angular- andQ-distributions of the most important transfer reactions have been analysed in the framework of a simple semiclassical formalism. Particularly the two-nucleon transfer angular distributions exhibit strong multi step coupling effects which manifest themselves in reduced cross sections at large angles corresponding to close distances. From the angular distributions at forward angles, where a single step character of the transfer reaction can be assumed, approximate form factors have been extracted employing a first order perturbation theory. Within the uncertainties of a schematic coupled channels calculation the isotopic differences of the sub-barrier fusion enhancement can be understood on the basis of the isotopic differences of the transfer form factors andQ-values.     

Fragmentation of the two-phonon γ-vibration in166Er

Two-phonon γ-vibrational states in¹⁶⁶Er have been populated using Coulomb excitation. The K^π=4⁺ component of the vibration appears to be fragmented over several states, whereas only one K^π=0⁺ state is observed.     

Excited states populated via nucleon transfer in the reaction32S +208Pb

The population strengths of excited states in nuclei produced via transfer reactions in the 185 MeV³²S +²⁰⁸Pb reaction have been investigated by heavy-ion- coincidence techniques. The cross sections extracted from the spectra, have been analyzed in the framework of the Complex WKB approximation theory.     

Reaction mechanism studies using the CN/ER spin distribution

To study basic properties of the fusion reaction dynamics for heavy compound systems the partial-wave distribution can be employed as an alternative to the classically used fusion/fission excitation functions. A variety of reactions leading to compound nuclei (CN) in the Pb region can be used to investigate features like the fusion-fission competition, the role of deformation in the fusion of heavy systems and a possible effect of the Z = 82 shell on the enhancement of evaporation residue (ER) production.Received: 5 November 2002, Revised: 26 March 2003, Published online: 9 March 2004PACS: 24.75. + i General properties of fission - 25.70.Gh Compound nucleus - 25.70.Jj Fusion and fusion-fission reactions     

Fusion-fission of heavy and superheavy nuclei

The process of fusion-fission of heavy and superheavy nuclei (SHE) with Z=82–122 formed in the reactions with ⁴⁸Ca and ⁵⁸Fe ions at energies near and below the Coulomb barrier has been studied. The experiments were carried out at the U-400 accelerator of the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions (JINR) and at the XTU Tandem accelerator of the National Laboratory of Legnaro (LNL) using the time-of-flight spectrometer of fission fragments CORSET and the neutron multidetector DEMON. As a result of the experiments, mass and energy distributions (MED) of fission fragments; fission, quasifission, and evaporation residue cross sections; and multiplicities of neutrons and γ-quanta and their dependences on the mechanism of formation and decay of compound systems have been studied.     

First observation of the excited states in the doubly odd nucleus118Cs identified throughγ-recoil coincidences

The previously unknown nucleus¹¹⁸Cs has been identified through γ-γ and γ-recoil coincidences using the GASP γ-spectrometer and Recoil Mass Spectrometer. The level scheme constructed on the base of triple γ coincidences shows a collective structure based on the π^?1g_9/2?νh_11/2 configuration.