Neutron flow or collective degrees of freedom for near barrier heavy-ion fusion

Various models have been proposed in order to understand the near barrier heavy-ion fusion data. Amongst others the coupled channel approach of Dasso and Landowne and the neutron flow picture of Stelson are two of the mechanisms which describe well a large body of near barrier fusion data. From an analysis of¹⁶O induced fusion reaction around the barrier for various targets an attempt has been made to identify which out of the above two mechanisms is more appropriate to explain these data.