Beyond the coherent coupled channels description of nuclear fusion.
New measurements of fusion cross sections at deep sub-barrier energies for the reactions 16O+{204,208}Pb show a steep but almost saturated logarithmic slope, unlike 64Ni-induced reactions. Coupled channels calculations cannot simultaneously reproduce these new data and above-barrier cross-sections with the same Woods-Saxon nuclear potential. It is argued that this highlights an inadequacy of the coherent coupled channels approach. It is proposed that a new approach explicitly including gradual decoherence is needed to allow a consistent description of nuclear fusion.
Dasgupta
M
M
Department of Nuclear Physics, Research School of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
Hinde
D J
DJ
Diaz-Torres
A
A
Bouriquet
B
B
Low
Catherine I
CI
Milburn
G J
GJ
Newton
J O
JO