Multineutron transfer in {sup 58}Ni+{sup 124}Sn collisions at sub-barrier energies

Cross sections for multineutron transfer reactions in {sup 58}Ni+{sup 124}Sn collisions have been measured with good particle identification at four energies around the Coulomb barrier. The angle- and energy-integrated multineutron transfer cross sections exhibit an exponential falloff with increasing number of transferred neutrons. The elastic scattering and one-nucleon transfer reaction data can be reproduced well by coupled-channels calculations and distorted-wave Born approximation calculations, respectively, using the same optical potential. The transfer probabilities for each transfer channel, plotted as a function of the distance of closest approach, fall on a common exponential curve; the slopes of these exponential falloff curves are discussed. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}