Experimental study of the $^{17}$F+ $^{12}$C fusion reaction and its implications for fusion of proton-halo systems

Abstract

The halo nature of the low-lying 1/2 + first excited state of the exotic weakly-bound proton dripline nucleus 17 F has long been hypothesized. The structure of such a halo nucleus would imply special nuclear properties including, possibly, an enhancement in its fusion cross section above the barrier. The total fusion cross section of 17 F + 12 C near the Coulomb barrier was studied using the newly developed 'Encore' active-target detector at Florida State University. Total fusion cross sections for the stable counterpart systems 16 O + 12 C and 19 F + 12 C were also measured to enable a systematic comparison. No influence of the halo nature of the 17 F 1/2 + first excited state on its fusion excitation function was observed when compared with the stable counterpart systems.