Present status of coupled-channels calculations for heavy-ion subbarrier fusion reactions

TL;DR

This paper reviews the current state of coupled-channels calculations for heavy-ion subbarrier fusion, examining common simplifications and proposing a new microscopic method to include anharmonic effects in collective vibrations.

Contribution

It critically assesses standard assumptions in coupled-channels models and introduces a novel microscopic approach to better account for anharmonic vibrational effects.

Findings

Standard simplifications may limit accuracy in fusion modeling

Proposed microscopic method incorporates anharmonic vibrational effects

Enhanced understanding of coupling effects in heavy-ion fusion

Abstract

The coupled-channels method has been a standard tool in analyzing heavy-ion fusion reactions at energies around the Coulomb barrier. We investigate three simplifications usually adopted in the coupled-channels calculations. These are i) the exclusion of non-collective excitations, ii) the assumption of coordinate independent coupling strengths, and iii) the harmonic oscillator approximation for multi-phonon excitations. In connection to the last point, we propose a novel microscopic method based on the beyond-mean-field approach in order to take into account the anharmonic effects of collective vibrations.