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Background: The nuclear structure of colliding nuclei is known to influence the fusion process. Couplings of the relative motion to nuclear shape deformations and vibrations lead to an enhancement of the sub-barrier fusion cross section in comparison with the predictions of one-dimensional barrier penetration models. This enhancement is explained by coupled-channels calculations including these couplings. The sub-barrier fusion cross section is also affected by nucleon transfer channels between the colliding nuclei.Purpose: The aim of the present experiment is to investigate the influence of the projectile and target nuclear structures on the fusion cross sections in the $^{40}\mathrm{Ca}+^{58}\mathrm{Ni}$ and $^{40}\mathrm{Ca}+^{64}\mathrm{Ni}$ systems.Methods: The experimental and theoretical fusion excitation functions as well as the barrier distributions were compared for these two systems. Coupled-channels calculations were performed using the ccfull code.Results: Good agreement was found between the measured and calculated fusion cross sections for the $^{40}\mathrm{Ca}+^{58}\mathrm{Ni}$ system. The situation is different for the $^{40}\mathrm{Ca}+^{64}\mathrm{Ni}$ system where the coupled-channels calculations with no nucleon transfer clearly underestimate the fusion cross sections below the Coulomb barrier. The fusion excitation function was, however, well reproduced at low and high energies by including the coupling to the neutron pair-transfer channel in the calculations.Conclusions: The nuclear structure of the colliding nuclei influences the fusion cross sections below the Coulomb barrier for both $^{40}\mathrm{Ca}+^{58,64}\mathrm{Ni}$ systems. Moreover, we highlighted the effect of the neutron pair-transfer channel on the fusion cross sections in $^{40}\mathrm{Ca}+^{64}\mathrm{Ni}$.

The rotational structure of ${}^{246}$Fm has been investigated using in-beam $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray spectroscopic techniques. The experiment was performed using the JUROGAMII germanium detector array coupled to the gas-filled recoil ion transport unit (RITU) and the gamma recoil electron alpha tagging (GREAT) focal plane detection system. Nuclei of ${}^{246}$Fm were produced using a 186 MeV beam of ${}^{40}$Ar impinging on a ${}^{208}$Pb target. The JUROGAMII array was fully instrumented with Tracking Numerical Treatment 2 Dubna (TNT2D) digital acquisition cards. The use of digital electronics and a rotating target allowed for unprecedented beam intensities of up to 71 particle-nanoamperes for prompt $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray spectroscopy at a level of approximately 11 nb. With all these major experimental advances a rotational band is observed in ${}^{246}$Fm.

In many physical problems one is faced with the calculation of matrix elements of the form 〈lm|f(\ensuremath{\theta})|l\ensuremath{'}m〉. We use matrix algebra to derive a powerful technique for the numerical evaluation of such integrals. We obtain two different integration formulas: one which may be used if f has no particular symmetry and a second which exploits reflection symmetry of this operator. Our final results are essentially generalizations of the Gauss quadrature formula especially suited to the evaluation of matrix elements of the above form. We demonstrate this with an application to the angular part of the barrier transmission coefficient for the \ensuremath{\alpha} decay of a heavy nucleus. The derivation involves a unitary transformation to the eigenstates of the Legendre polynomials ${\mathrm{P}}_{1}$ or ${\mathrm{P}}_{2}$ in a truncated angular momentum space. The same transformation also relates the eigenchannels of the adiabatic treatment of the scattering of deformed nuclei to the corresponding physical channels.

An isomeric state in {sup 255}Lr with a half-life of t{sub 1/2} = 1.4(1) ms and E{sub x}>720-keV has been observed for the first time using the GABRIELA setup at the focal plane of the VASSILISSA separator. Based on its K-forbiddeness, the configuration of the state is most probably formed by coupling the valence proton to a two quasiparticle neutron excitation. Possible three quasiparticle configurations are discussed.

The 'experimental barrier distribution' provides a parameter-free representation of experimental heavy-ion capture cross sections that highlights the effects of entrance-channel couplings. Its relation to the s-wave transmission is discussed, and in particular it is shown how the full capture cross section can be generated from an l=0 coupled-channels calculation. Furthermore, it is shown how this transmission can be simply exploited in calculations of quasifission and evaporation-residue cross sections. The system {sup 48}Ca+{sup 154}Sm is studied in detail. A calculation of the compound-nucleus spin distribution reveals a possible energy dependence of barrier weights due to polarization arising from target and projectile quadrupole phonon states; this effect also gives rise to an entrance-channel 'extra-push'.

Near-barrier fusion excitation functions for the $^{14}\mathrm{C}$ and $^{18}\mathrm{O}+^{208}\mathrm{Pb}$ reactions have been analyzed in the framework of the barrier-passing model using different forms of the nuclear potential and the phenomenology of a fluctuating barrier. The best-fit fusion potentials were used to estimate cluster decay probabilities from the corresponding ground states of Ra and Th (i.e., for the inverse decay process). The analysis supports the ``\ensuremath{\alpha}-decay-like'' scenario for carbon and oxygen emission from these nuclei.

A precise fusion excitation function has been measured for 40 Ca+ 94 Zr at near- and sub-barrier energies, and the fusion barrier distribution has been extracted. Comparing with the existing data for 40,48 Ca+ 90,96 Zr shows that couplings to inelastic excitations determine the fusion cross sections and the shape of the barrier distributions near the barrier. At lower energies, the two systems possessing neutron-transfer channels with large positive Q-values ( 40 Ca+ 94,96 Zr) have remarkably similar cross sections, and both show a large enhancement with respect to the other systems and to coupled-channels calculations including up to three quadrupole and octupole phonons in the Zr targets.

Mass-energy and angular distributions of fission fragments for the $^{48}\mathrm{Ca}+^{144,154}\mathrm{Sm}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}^{192,202}\mathrm{Pb}$, $^{40}\mathrm{Ca}+^{154}\mathrm{Sm}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}^{194}\mathrm{Pb}$ reactions have been measured. Fusion suppression and the presence of quasifission at energies near and below the Coulomb barrier have been observed for the reactions with the deformed target $^{154}\mathrm{Sm}$. In the case of the spherical $^{144}\mathrm{Sm}$ target no evidence of quasifission has been found. Quasifission cross sections have been extracted from total fission-like events by analysis of their mass and angular distributions.

Excited states in {sup 249}Fm were populated via the {alpha} decay of {sup 253}No and the subsequent decay was observed with the GABRIELA detection system installed at the focal plane of the VASSILISSA recoil separator. The energies, spins, and parities of these states could be established through combined {alpha},{gamma}, and conversion-electron spectroscopy. The first members of the ground-state rotational band were identified. Their excitation energies as well as the observation of a cross-over E2 transition confirm the assignment of 7/2{sup +}624 for the ground state of {sup 249}Fm. Two excited states were also observed and their decay properties suggest that they correspond to the particle excitation 9/2{sup -}734 and hole excitation 5/2{sup +}622. The analysis suggests that the 279-keV transition de-exciting the 9/2{sup -} state has anomalous E1 conversion coefficients.

A new experiment to determine the thermonuclear cross section of the C-12(alpha,gamma)O-16 reaction has been performed in regular kinematics using an intense alpha-particle beam of up to 340 mu A from the Stuttgart DYNAMITRON. For the first time, a 4 pi-germanium-detector setup has been used to measure the angular distribution of the gamma rays at all angles simultaneously. It consisted of an array of nine EUROGAM high-purity Ge detectors in close geometry, actively shielded individually with bismuth germanate crystals. The C-12 targets were isotopically enriched by magnetic separation during implantation. The depth profiles of the implanted carbon in the C-12 targets were determined by Rutherford backscattering for purposes of cross-section normalization and absolute determination of the E1 and E2 S factors. Angular distributions of the gamma decay to the O-16 ground state were measured in the energy range E-c.m.=1.30-2.78 MeV and in the angular range (lab.) 30 degrees-130 degrees. From these distributions, astrophysical E1 and E2 S-factor functions vs energy were calculated, both of which are indispensable to the modeling of this reaction and the extrapolation toward lower energies. The separation of the E1 and E2 capture channels was done both by taking the phase value phi(12) as a free parameter and by fixing it using the results of elastic alpha-particle scattering on C-12 in the same energy range.

Fusion-evaporation cross sections were measured in the two systems {sup 48}Ca+{sup 90,96}Zr in an energy range from well below to well above the Coulomb barrier. The sub-barrier fusion of {sup 48}Ca+{sup 90}Zr is reproduced by coupled-channels calculations including the lowest quadrupole and octupole vibrations of {sup 90}Zr, and using a Woods-Saxon potential with a standard diffuseness parameter a = 0.68 fm. However, the fusion cross sections are overestimated above the barrier. The low-energy slope of the excitation function for {sup 48}Ca+{sup 96}Zr is steeper. This implies a larger diffuseness parameter a = 0.85 fm. Fusion cross sections are well fit in the whole energy range, and the effect of the strong octupole vibration in {sup 96}Zr is predominant. The extracted fusion barrier distributions are reasonably well reproduced by calculations for both systems. A comparison with previous data for {sup 40}Ca+{sup 90,96}Zr is made in an attempt to clarify the role of transfer couplings in sub-barrier fusion.

We have studied the mass and energy distributions of fission fragments from the two reactions ${}^{12}\mathrm{C}{+}^{204}\mathrm{Pb}$ and ${}^{48}\mathrm{Ca}{+}^{168}\mathrm{Er}$ that lead to the same compound nucleus ${}^{216}{\mathrm{Ra}}^{*}.$ Despite the fact that the excitation energy was around 40 MeV in both cases, the contribution from asymmetric fission in the first reaction is only around 1.5% but is about 30% in the second. This marked increase in the yield of asymmetric products is connected to the quasifission process, in which important shell effects become evident. The mass-energy distributions are interpreted in terms of an independent decay mode competing with the normal fusion-fission process and possibly leading to a significant suppression of the fusion cross section itself.