Near-barrier fusion and barrier distribution of Ni 58 + Fe 54

Near- and sub-barrier fusion cross sections have been measured for the system 58 Ni + 54 Fe, and the fusion barrier distribution has been extracted. The measured cross sections cover the range from ≃1 μb up to around 500 mb. Close analogies are found between the extracted barrier distribution and the available data on 58 Ni + 60 Ni, indicating the dominating influence of complex surface vibrations on the fusion of 58 Ni + 54 Fe. The present data on 58 Ni + 54 Fe are well reproduced by standard coupled-channels calculations in the measured energy range, including quadrupole and octupole phonons in both colliding nuclei.