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The deep inelastic reaction (DIC) 48Ca+64Ni, at an energy approximately 2.5 times above the Coulomb barrier, was studied using the CLARA‐PRISMA setup at the Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro. Total cross sections and angular distributions, both energy integrated and associated to the population of selected excited states, are measured for the most intense reaction channels. The γ‐decay of the most intense reaction products is also studied. The use of angular distributions and polarization measurements of γ transitions allows to firmly establish spin and parity of excited states. Both reaction and gamma spectroscopy studies demonstrate the relevance of DIC with heavy ions for the investigation of moderately neutron rich systems.

The reaction 48Ca+64Ni has been studied in the deep inelastic regime at approximately 6 MeV/A, by the CLARA‐PRISMA setup. Angular distributions of the reaction cross sections have been obtained for the most intense reaction products, taking into account the response function of the magnetic spectrometer. The response of PRISMA has been calculated making use of a MonteCarlo simulation of the transport of the ions in the spectrometer, starting from known events distributions. For the one‐nucleon transfer channels, the experimental data are in good agreement with predictions from a semiclassical multi‐nucleon transfer model.

In recent years, a puzzling pattern has been observed in fusion cross sections well below the Coulomb barrier, characterized as a departure from the exponential‐like behavior predicted by standard coupled‐channels models, known as fusion hindrance. We report on recent fusion measurements performed at the Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, in particular the 48Ca+48Ca reaction down to the level of 0.6 μb. Unlike most recent results in this field, we do not observe the typical divergent behavior of the logarithmic derivative; but rather a sort of saturation, albeit at a larger value than predicted with a standard nucleus‐nucleus potential.

The large solid angle magnetic spectrometer for heavy ions PRISMA was operated at LNL in conjunction with the highly efficient CLARA set‐up up to the end of March 2008. The AGATA Demonstrator is being mounted around the target area of PRISMA replacing the CLARA set‐up. It will allow to carry out nuclear structure and reaction mechanism studies with better resolution and higher statistics. New detectors for light ions and slow moving heavy ions have been designed for the focal plane of the spectrometer.

The fusion excitation function for 36S+48Ca with positive Q‐value for the compound nucleus formation, has been measured from near the barrier down to very low energies, where “fusion hindrance” may be expected. No evidence of hindrance shows up in the measured energy range. Coupled‐channels calculations have been performed with a large diffuseness parameter of the Wood‐Saxon potential, reproducing the data above and below the barrier.

The PRISMA‐CLARA setup, consisting of the large solid angle magnetic spectrometer for heavy‐ions PRISMA coupled to the highly efficient CLARA array of 25 Clovers detectors, was operating at LNL since the end of 2003. The first experimental campaign has been completed at the end of 2004. Selected results on the structure of moderately neutron‐rich nuclei, populated in multi‐nucleon transfer and deep‐inelastic reactions, are presented here. Some technical developments related to the setup are also discussed.