Nonlocality and polarizability in the fusion of Fermi droplets

Abstract

The fusion of heavy ions at energies around the barrier is analysed within the framework of semiclassical mean-field transport theory. The paths connecting entrance and exit subbarrier fusion reaction channels are found by incorporating the Wick transformation into the mean-field kinetic equation. The polarization and deformation of nuclei is shown to lower the barrier height at near-barrier energies as compared to the well above barrier collisions. It is demonstrated that preequilibrium nucleon exchange in classically forbidden region gives rise to the nonlocal effects lowering the effective mass of translational motion at smaller relative distances. These effects together show a good fit to 58 Ni+ 58 Ni experimental data.