Fusion enhancement at near and sub-barrier energies in $^{19}$O + $^{12}$C

Abstract

Measuring the fusion excitation function for an isotopic chain of projectile nuclei provides a stringent test of a microscopic description of fusion. We report the first measurement of the fusion excitation function at near-barrier energies for the $^{19}$O + $^{12}$C system. The measured excitation function is compared with the fusion excitation function of $^{18}$O + $^{12}$C. A significant enhancement in the fusion probability of $^{19}$O ions with a $^{12}$C target as compared to $^{18}$O ions is observed. The experimental cross-sections observed at near-barrier energies are compared with a state-of-the-art microscopic model.