No Arabic abstract
The nuclear fusion is a reaction to form a compound nucleus. It plays an important role in several circumstances in nuclear physics as well as in nuclear astrophysics, such as synthesis of superheavy elements and nucleosynthesis in stars. Here we discuss two recent theoretical developments in heavy-ion fusion reactions at energies around the Coulomb barrier. The first topic is a generalization of the Wong formula for fusion cross sections in a single-channel problem. By introducing an energy dependence to the barrier parameters, we show that the generalized formula leads to results practically indistinguishable from a full quantal calculation, even for light symmetric systems such as $^{12}$C+$^{12}$C, for which fusion cross sections show an oscillatory behavior. We then discuss a semi-microscopic modeling of heavy-ion fusion reactions, which combine the coupled-channels approach to the state-of-the-art nuclear structure calculations for low-lying collective motions. We apply this method to subbarrier fusion reactions of $^{58}$Ni+$^{58}$Ni and $^{40}$Ca+$^{58}$Ni systems, and discuss the role of anharmonicity of the low-lying vibrational motions.
Complete fusion excitation functions of reactions involving breakup are studied by using the empirical coupled-channel (ECC) model with breakup effects considered. An exponential function with two parameters is adopted to describe the prompt-breakup probability in the ECC model. These two parameters are fixed by fitting the measured prompt-breakup probability or the complete fusion cross sections. The suppression of complete fusion at energies above the Coulomb barrier is studied by comparing the data with the predictions from the ECC model without the breakup channel considered. The results show that the suppression of complete fusion are roughly independent of the target for the reactions involving the same projectile.
The cross sections of complete fusion and incomplete fusion for the $ ^{9} $Be + $ ^{197} $Au system, at energies not too much above the Coulomb barrier, were measured for the first time. The online activation followed by offline $gamma$-ray spectroscopy method was used for the derivation of the cross sections. A slightly higher value of ICF/TF ratio has been observed, compared to other systems reported in the literature with $ ^{9} $Be beam. The experimental data were compared with coupled channel calculations without taking into account the coupling of the breakup channel, and experimental data of other reaction systems with weakly bound projectiles. A complete fusion suppression of about 40% was found for the $ ^{9} $Be + $ ^{197} $Au system, at energies above the barrier, whereas the total fusion cross sections are in agreement with the calculations.
In this paper we revisit the one-dimensional tunnelling problem. We consider different approximations for the transmission through the Coulomb barrier in heavy ion collisions at near-barrier energies. First, we discuss approximations of the barrier shape by functional forms where the transmission coefficient is known analytically. Then, we consider Kembles approximation for the transmission coefficient. We show how this approximation can be extended to above-barrier energies by performing the analytical continuation of the radial coordinate to the complex plane. We investigate the validity of the different approximations considered in this paper by comparing their predictions for transmission coefficients and cross sections of three heavy ion systems with the corresponding quantum mechanical results.
The present understanding of reaction processes involving light unstable nuclei at energies around the Coulomb barrier is reviewed. The effect of coupling to direct reaction channels on elastic scattering and fusion is investigated, with the focus on halo nuclei. A list of definitions of processes is given, followed by a review of the experimental and theoretical tools and information presently available. The effect of couplings on elastic scattering and fusion is studied with a series of model calculations within the coupled-channels framework. The experimental data on fusion are compared to bare no-coupling one-dimensional barrier penetration model calculations. On the basis of these calculations and comparisons with experimental data, conclusions are drawn from the observation of recurring features. The total fusion cross sections for halo nuclei show a suppression with respect to the bare calculations at energies just above the barrier that is probably due to single neutron transfer reactions. The data for total fusion are also consistent with a possible sub-barrier enhancement; however, this observation is not conclusive and other couplings besides the single-neutron channels would be needed in order to explain any actual enhancement. We find that a characteristic feature of halo nuclei is the dominance of direct reactions over fusion at near and sub-barrier energies; the main part of the cross section is related to neutron transfers, while calculations indicate only a modest contribution from the breakup process.
We carefully compare the one-dimensional WKB barrier tunneling model, and the one-channel Schodinger equation with a complex optical potential calculation of heavy-ion fusion, for a light and a heavy system. It is found that the major difference between the two approaches occurs around the critical energy, above which the effective potential for the grazing angular momentum ceases to exhibit a pocket. The value of this critical energy is shown to be strongly dependent on the nuclear potential at short distances, on the inside region of the Coulomb barrier, and this dependence is much more important for heavy systems. Therefore the nuclear fusion process is expected to provide information on the nuclear potential in this inner region. We compare calculations with available data to show that the results are consistent with this expectation.