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6 pages; International audience; Isomeric states in 253No have been investigated by conversion-electron and gamma-ray spectroscopy with the GABRIELA detection system. The 31 micro second isomer reported more than 30 years ago is found to decay to the ground state of 253No by the emission of a 167 keV M2 transition. The spin and parity of this low-lying isomeric state are established to be 5/2+. The presence of another longer-lived isomeric state is also discussed.

Measurements of fusion-evaporation cross-sections for the system 48Ca + 154Sm have been performed in the sub- and near-barrier energy range. Barrier-passing cross-sections have been obtained by adding recently measured capture-fission cross-sections at the same energies, and the barrier distribution for capture has been extracted. The data have been analyzed within a coupled-channel model, and a large subbarrier cross-section enhancement is observed, due to the ground-state prolate deformation of 154Sm. The 48Ca + 154Sm capture cross-sections are compared to existing data on 16O + 186W fusion, leading to the same CN, where a few higher-energy points have also been measured. The evaporation residue cross-sections for the two systems above the barrier indicate that complete fusion is inhibited for 48Ca + 154Sm by ≈ 40% in that energy region, with respect to 16O + 186W.

The creation of the nucleus of a superheavy element follows an extremely complex reaction path starting with the crossing of an external potential barrier (or distribution of barriers). This is followed by the evolution towards an equilibrated compound nucleus, which takes place in competition with pre-compound-nucleus fission (quasi-fission). Once formed the equilibrated compound nucleus must still survive against true fusion to yield a relatively long-lived evaporation residue. Much of this path is poorly understood, though recently, progress has been made on the role of the entrance-channel in quasi-fission. This will be briefly reported and a method proposed to measure the total capture cross section for such systems directly.

Fusion barrier distributions for the 20 Ne + 112,116,118 Sn systems have been extracted from quasi-elastic scattering cross sections measured at the Warsaw HIL Cyclotron. Results are compared to coupled-channels calculations performed with the CCFULL code. The overall widths of the distributions are reproduced on taking account of the low-lying collective states of the target and projectile but some puzzling discrepancies in their shapes remain to be explained.

Fusion-fission and fusion-evaporation cross sections have been measured in a large energy range for the 4 8 Ca+ 1 6 8 Er, 1 5 4 Sm reactions. The comparison of the reduced evaporation data for such reactions and for collisions induced by light projectiles leading to the same compound nuclei 2 1 6 Ra* and 2 0 2 Pb* puts in evidence a fusion hindrance, which is particularly large for the first composite system. This fusion suppression is consistent with a noticeable contribution coming from quasi-fission events observed in the mass-energy distribution of fission fragments. The asymmetric shape of the quasi-fission component has been explained in terms of shell effects in the exit channel, favouring the population of closed shell fission fragments. The comparison of 4 8 Ca+ 1 5 4 Sm with preliminary data on 4 8 Ca+ 1 4 4 Sm seems to suggest that the target deformation plays a role in the onset of the quasi-fission mechanism.

We have studied mass-energy distributions (MED) of fission fragments using two projectile-target combinations, 12C + 204Pb and 48Ca + 168Er, leading to the same compound nucleus 216Ra at the excitation energy E*∼40 MeV. It has been found that the contribution of the asymmetric mode in the case of the former reaction is 1.5%, and it is 30% in the case of the latter one. We connect such a sharp increase in the yield of asymmetric products in the 48Ca + 168Er reaction with the quasifission process, the MED of which have a clearly expressed shell structure. The characteristics of the fission fragment MED are of such a kind that they can be interpreted by analogy with the low-energy fission of heavy nuclei as a manifestation of an independent mode of nuclear decay which competes with the classical fusion-fission process.

M. G. Itkis,∗ ,a A. A. Bogatchev,a I. M. Itkis,a M. Jandel,a J. Kliman,a G. N. Kniajeva,a N. A. Kondratiev,a I. V. Korzyukov,a E. M. Kozulin,a L. Krupa,a Yu. Ts. Oganessian,a I. V. Pokrovski,a V. A. Ponomarenko,a E. V. Prokhorova,a A. Ya. Rusanov,a V. M. Voskresenski,a A. A. Goverdovski,b F. Hanappe,c T. Materna,c N. Rowley,d L. Stuttge,d G. Giardina,e and K. J. Moodyf Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Research, JINR, 141980 Dubna, Russia Institute for Physics & Power Engineering, 249020 Obninsk, Russia Universite Libre de Bruxelles, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium Institut de Recherches Subatomiques, F-67037 Strasbourg Cedex, France Dipartimento di Fisica dell’ Universita di Messina, 98166 Messina, Italy University of California, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94551, USA

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 phenomenon of fusion barrier distributions is discussed in the context of a problem already investigated in some detail with simple detection systems, but possessing avenues to studies with multi-detector arrays. The complementarity of research with simple and complex detectors, as well as with stable and radioactive beams, will be highlighted.

Experimental lifetimes and branching ratios for the -decay of even-even actinide nuclei can be fitted with wavefunctions at the nuclear surface which are practically nucleus independent. This suggests some common preformation process across the entire mass region. Our analysis is achieved without the introduction of a `knocking frequency' and within reasonably well defined limits, the amplitudes that we calculate can be directly related to the -particle preformation factor.

How can we explain that some Popular education militants are also referring to the Information Society and thus seem to join this plan, carried to a great extent by merchants and the authorities ? Which are the stakes at work in this “meeting” ? Popular education, in addition to a long and plural history, is not homogeneous. However, Popular education is marked by a common philosophy aiming at developing social, cultural and political people's emancipation. In the mean time, political and economic authorities need to get the support of social actors to carry out the Information Society. Within this framework, associations would be the relay of the development of this society ; the necessary social mediator of this plan. Meanwhile, Popular education movements are seeking ways to appropriate this concept in order to make it able to serve the interests of Popular education. But they also question the specific purposes of this model. Indeed, the reference to the Information Society allows the militants of Popular education to update their traditional matters, and also to come out of the crisis they are facing. Lastly, if this meeting seems, at first sight, to generate consensus, the inherent conflicts in the confrontation of the values and identities do not therefore disappear and question the real stakes at work.

Precise fusion and quasi-elastic scattering excitation functions have been measured for the systems 40 Ca + 90,96 Zr at energies spanning the Coulomb barrier. From both the fusion and the quasi-elastic scattering data representations of the barrier distributions have been extracted. The barrier distributions of the two reactions are qualitatively very different. While the lighter system is well described by coupled-channels calculations including multi-phonon excitations, this coupling scheme fails completely for the heavier system, possibly due to multi-neutron transfer.

This paper has three parts. In the first, it is thrown light about the economics of innovation departing from Schumpeter up to now. The main message is that innovation is a key issue to get economic wealth. But this is not without creating ups and downs in society using market economics and being liberal democracy. In the second, the global village's wealth at the long run is illuminated giving a world's legitimacy to the concern for innovation. In the third, a new knowledge policy is proposed. It is a way to capitalise on a wider spectrum of knowledge than today through market economics. Indeed, the new policy looks at the full set of knowledge a society from a given civilisation has at a certain moment of time. This seems to be more relevant when markets are open and civilisations encounter more than in the past. The new knowledge policy is a way to get new and more shared growth than in the past.

The SEC13 gene was originally identified by temperature-sensitive mutations that block all protein transport from the ER to the Golgi. We have found that at a permissive temperature for growth, the sec13-1 mutation selectively blocks transport of the nitrogen-regulated amino acid permease, Gaplp, from the Golgi to the plasma membrane, but does not affect the activity of constitutive permeases such as Hip1p, Can1p, or Lyp1p. Different alleles of SEC13 exhibit different relative effects on protein transport from the ER to the Golgi, or on Gap1p activity, indicating distinct requirements for SEC13 function at two different steps in the secretory pathway. Three new genes, LST4, LST7, and LSTB, were identified that are also required for amino acid permease transport from the Golgi to the cell surface. Mutations in LST4 and LST7 reduce the activity of the nitrogen-regulated permeases Gap1p and Put4p, whereas mutations in LST8 impair the activities of a broader set of amino acid permeases. The LST8 gene encodes a protein composed of WD-repeats and has a close human homologue. The LST7 gene encodes a novel protein. Together, these data indicate that SEC13, LST4, LST7, and LST8 function in the regulated delivery of Gap1p to the cell surface, perhaps as components of a post-Golgi secretory-vesicle coat.

An experiment was performed with the EUROGAM II array to investigate the reaction channels that are open in the fusion of a beam on the actinide target at a series of energies around the Coulomb barrier. The symmetric fission products identified from the level structures seem to suggest that a proton and neutrons are emitted prior to fission.

In mammalian cells, extracellular signals can regulate the delivery of particular proteins to the plasma membrane. We have discovered a novel example of regulated protein sorting in the late secretory pathway of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In yeast cells grown on either ammonia or urea medium, the general amino acid permease (Gap1p) is transported from the Golgi complex to the plasma membrane, whereas, in cells grown on glutamate medium, Gap1p is transported from the Golgi to the vacuole. We have also found that sorting of Gap1p in the Golgi is controlled by SEC13, a gene previously shown to encode a component of the COPII vesicle coat. In sec13 mutants grown on ammonia, Gap1p is transported from the Golgi to the vacuole, instead of to the plasma membrane. Deletion of PEP12, a gene required for vesicular transport from the Golgi to the prevacuolar compartment, counteracts the effect of the sec13 mutation and partially restores Gap1p transport to the plasma membrane. Together, these studies demonstrate that both a nitrogen-sensing mechanism and Sec13p control Gap1p transport from the Golgi to the plasma membrane.

$\alpha-$decay through a deformed potential barrier produces significant mixing of angular momenta when mapped from the nuclear interior to the outside. Using experimental branching ratios and either semi-classical or coupled-channels transmission matrices, we have found that there is a set of internal amplitudes which are essentially constant for all even--even actinide nuclei. These same amplitudes also give good results for the known anisotropic $\alpha-$particle emission of the favored decays of odd nuclei in the same mass region. PACS numbers: 23.60.+e, 24.10.Eq, 27.90.+b

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.

The fusion probability for heavy symmetric systems is known to show certain very specific features. Apart from the large variance of the fusion barrier distribution, it is found that the energy at which the s‐wave transmission is 0.5 is shifted to an energy significantly higher than the nominal (e.g. Bass) Coulomb barrier. This last feature is referred to in the literature as the ‘extra push’ effect. Many models have been devised to explain the origin of these findings. It is worth noting, however, that despite the extra push, the capture cross section is still greatly enhanced at the very lowest energies. This fact cannot be explained within the framework of macroscopic theories involving conditional saddle points or frictional forces. We have performed full coupled‐channel calculations for heavy, symmetric systems treating correctly the long‐range Coulomb excitations of the collective quadrupole‐ and octupole‐phonon states in the target and projectile. The results obtained show that the extra push and t...

The interest in the study of the fission process of superheavy nuclei mainly deals with the opportunity to obtain information about the cross-section of the compound nucleus (CN) formation at excitation energies E*\approx 15–30 MeV. It allows one to estimate the survival probability of the superheavy composite system after evaporation of 1–3 neutrons, i.e. in "cold" or "warm" fusion reactions. However, in order to solve this problem deeper understanding of the coalescence processes between colliding nuclei, the competition between fusion-fission and quasi-fission processes is needed. The characteristics of both processes, their manifestation in the experimental observables and the relative contribution to the capture cross-section in dependence on the excitation energies, reaction entrance channel etc were investigated for a wide range of target-projectile combinations. Results of the experiments devoted to the study of the fusion-fission and quasi-fission processes in the reactions of the formation of the superheavy nuclei with Z = 102–122 are presented. The heavy ions 26Mg, 48Ca, 50Ti, 58Fe and 64Ni were used as projectiles. The choice of the reactions with 48Ca and actinide-targets was inspired by the experiments on the production of the isotopes 283112, 289114 and 283116 in Dubna using the same reactions. The 50Ti, 58Fe and 64Ni projectiles were chosen since the corresponding projectile-target combinations lead to the synthesis of even heavier elements. The experiments were carried out at the U-400 accelerator of the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions (JINR, Russia) and the XTU Tandem accelerator of the National Laboratory of Legnaro (LNL, Italy) using the time-of-flight spectrometer of fission fragments CORSET. The role of the shell effects, the influence of the entrance channel asymmetry and the deformations of colliding nuclei on the mechanism of the fusion-fission and the competitive process of quasi-fission are discussed. The recent results on synthesis of superheavy nuclei and the perspectives of the "hot" fusion reaction for the production of superheavy nuclei are considered.

The mass-energy distributions of the fragments, fusion-fission (OFF) and capture (oCap) cross-sections in the reactions 26Mg+248Cm; 48Ca+2"RPb, 232Th, 238U , 2 4 4 ~ u , 2 4 8 ~ m ; 244Pu, 248Cm were measured at the U400 accelerator of Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions (JINR, Russia) with use of double-ann time-of-flight spectrometer CORSET. The influence of reaction entrance channel on the competition between fusion-fission and quasi-fission processes was studied. Strong manifestation of the shell effects in mass distributions of fusion-fission and quasi-fission fragments was observed. The multimodal fission phenomena were found for 2 7 4 H ~ and 256N0 nuclei at low excitation energies. % ~ ~ 2 0 8 p b , 232~h

Results of the experiments aimed at the study of fission and quasi‐fission processes in the reactions 12C+204Pb, 48Ca+144,154Sm, 168Er, 208Pb, 238U, 244Pu, 248Cm; 58Fe+208Pb, 244Pu, 248Cm, and 64Ni+186W, 242Pu are presented. The choice of the above‐mentioned reactions was inspired by the experiments on the production of the isotopes 283112, 289114 and 283116 at Dubna using the same reactions. The 58Fe and 64Ni projectiles were chosen since the corresponding projectile‐target combinations lead to the synthesis of even heavier elements. The experiments were carried out at the U‐400 accelerator of the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions (JINR, Russia), the XTU Tandem accelerator of the National Laboratory of Legnaro (LNL, Italy) and the Accelerator of the Laboratory of University of Jyvaskyla (JYFL, Finland) using the time‐of‐flight spectrometer of fission fragments CORSET and the neutron multi‐detector DEMON. The role of shell effects and the influence of the entrance channel asymmetry and the deformatio...

The process of fusion-fission of heavy and superheavy nuclei (SHE) with Z = 82-122 formed in the reactions with ^48Ca and ^58Fe ions at energies near and below the Coulomb barrier has been studied. The experiments were carried out at the ^400U accelerator of the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions (JINR) and at the XTU Tandem accelerator of the National Laboratory of Legnaro, (LNL) using the time-of-flight spectrometer of fission fragments CORSET and the neutron multi-detector DEMON. As a result of the experiments, mass and energy distributions (MED) of fission fragments, fission, quasi-fission and evaporation residues cross sections, multiplicities of neutrons and gamma quanta and their dependence on the mechanism of formation and decay of compound systems have been studied.

Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions, JINR, 141980 Dubna, Russia I Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgique 21nstitut de Recherches Subatomiques, CNRS-IN2P3, Strasbourg, France 'Department of Physics, University of Messina and INFN, Italy "Institute of Nuclear Physics of the National Nuclear Center of Kazakhstan 480082 Almaty, Kazakhstan 'Institute of Physics SASc, 84228 Bratislava, Slovakia

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.

Opening Talk: Nuclear Structure at Border Lines (Yu Ts Oganessian) Hard Photons: A Probe of Dynamical Effects in Heavy Ion Collisions at Intermediate Energy (R Alba et al.) Studying Exotic Nuclei Through Direct Reactions (Y Blumenfeld) Isospin Effects on Instabilities and Fragmentation Mechanisms (M Colonna et al.) New Opportunities with Beams of Rare Isotopes in the US (C K Gelbke) Preliminary Results and Future Activities at the GARFIELD Apparatus (F Gramegna et al.) Mean-Field Calculations of Super-Heavy Elements (P H Heenen) Recent Experiments and Plans for the Synthesis of Superheavy Elements at the GSI SHIP (S Hofmann) Nuclear Fission at Border Lines (M G Itkis et al.) Many-Body Theory at Extreme Isospin (H Lenske et al.) Probing Correlations in Many-Body Haloes (F M Marques Moreno) Theoretical Approaches and Experimental Evidences for Liquid-Vapor Phase Transitions in Nuclei (L G Moretto et al.) Study of Halo-Structure in Radioactive He and Li Nuclei with Proton Elastic Scattering (A V Dobrovolsky et al.) Effects of the Shell Structure in Reactions Leading to the Same Compound Nucleus or Different Isotopes (A K Nasirov et al.) New Magic Number, N=16, Near the Neutron Drip Line (A Ozawa) Experiments on Super-Heavy Nuclei at GANIL (J Peter et al.) Thermodynamics of Hot Nuclei: Multifragmentation and Phase Transition (M F Rivet) Structure and Properties of Superheavy Nuclei (I Muntian & A Sobiczewski) Backtraced Neutron Multiplicities and Capture Dynamics in the Superheavy Region (L Stuttge et al.) Astrophysical S Factors from Asymptotic Normalization Coefficients (R E Tribble et al.) and other papers.