Fission fragment mass-angle correlations and mass ratio distributions have been measured for the reactions 16 O + 186 Os, 24 Mg + 178 Hf, 34 S + 168 Er, and 48 Ti + 154 Sm, forming the 202 Po composite nucleus, at near barrier energies. Systematic analysis based on the expected dependence of the variance of the mass distribution on the angular momentum and temperature of the compound nucleus indicate that the two lighter systems evolve through true compound nucleus fission. Evidence of quasifission was observed for the two most mass-symmetric reactions, through strong mass-angle correlations for the 48 Ti + 154 Sm reaction and a broadened mass ratio distribution for the 34 S + 168 Er reaction. Furthermore, the increase in mass width at near barrier energies shows the influence of the alignment of statically deformed target nuclei.

Forming the same heavy compound nucleus with different isotopes of the projectile and target elements allows nuclear structure effects in the entrance channel (resulting in static deformation) and in the dinuclear system to be disentangled. Using three isotopes of Ti and W, forming 232Cm, with measurement spanning the capture barrier energies, alignment of the heavy prolate deformed nucleus is shown to be the main reason for the broadening of the mass distribution of the quasifission fragments as the beam energy is reduced. The complex, consistently evolving mass-angle correlations that are observed carry more information than the integrated mass or angular distributions, and should severely test models of quasifission.

Using synchrotron small angle X-ray scattering we determine the 'latent' track morphology and their annealing kinetics in the Durango apatite. The latter, measured during ex situ and in situ annealing experiments, suggests structural relaxation followed by recrystallisation of the damaged material. The resolution of fractions of a nanometer with which the track radii are determined, as well as the non-destructive, artefact-free measurement methodology shown here, provides a new means for in-depth studies of ion-track formation in natural minerals under a wide variety of geological conditions.

The delayed x-ray detection technique was used to measure complete and incomplete fusion cross sections for the 9 Be + 144 Sm reaction at sub-and near-barrier energies. Elastic and inelastic scattering for this system were also measured. Reaction cross sections were derived and the transfer cross sections of one neutron were calculated. The suppression of complete fusion above the barrier, of the order of 10%, is attributed to 9 Be breakup and is considerably smaller than the value of 30% found for the 9 Be + 208 Pb system.

The morphology of swift heavy ion tracks in crystalline α-quartz was investigated using small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS), molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and transmission electron microscopy. Tracks were generated by irradiation with heavy ions with energies between 27 MeV and 2.2 GeV. The analysis of the SAXS data indicates a density change of the tracks of ~2 ± 1% compared to the surrounding quartz matrix for all irradiation conditions. The track radii only show a weak dependence on the electronic energy loss at values above 17 keV nm(-1), in contrast to values previously reported from Rutherford backscattering spectrometry measurements and expectations from the inelastic thermal spike model. The MD simulations are in good agreement at low energy losses, yet predict larger radii than SAXS at high ion energies. The observed discrepancies are discussed with respect to the formation of a defective halo around an amorphous track core, the existence of high stresses and/or the possible presence of a boiling phase in quartz predicted by the inelastic thermal spike model.