Oblate-prolate deformation effect in capture reactions at sub-barrier energies

Abstract

The role of prolate and oblate deformations of colliding nuclei in the sub-barrier capture process is studied within the quantum-diffusion approach. A comparison of the calculated and measured capture cross sections in the reactions ${}^{16}\mathrm{O},{}^{48}\mathrm{Ca}+{}^{154}\mathrm{Sm}$ and ${}^{74}\mathrm{Ge}+{}^{74}\mathrm{Ge}$ show that transitions during the capture process occur from the potential minimum with an oblate deformation of the ground state to the minimum with a prolate deformation of the nuclei ${}^{154}\mathrm{Sm}$ and ${}^{74}\mathrm{Ge}$. These transitions crucially influence the sub-barrier capture. The capture cross sections and mean-angular momenta are predicted for the reactions of ${}^{36}\mathrm{S}+{}^{170}\mathrm{Er},{}^{174}\mathrm{Yb}$.