Study of neutron transfer reactions at sub-coulomb energies using a recoil separator

Abstract The results of a study of neutron transfer reactions at energies below the Coulomb barrier using a recoil separator are reported. Excitation functions for single-neutron pick-up at an angle of 180° in the center-of-mass have been measured for the systems 58 Ni+ 116,118,120,122,124 Sn over an energy range of 40 MeV from near to well below the Coulomb barrier. The data are well described in terms of both DWBA and semi-classical models of the transfer process. The relevance of the direct nucleon transfer cross sections to the sub-barrier fusion of these systems is discussed.