Near-barrier fusion and barrier distribution of Ni-58+Fe-54

Near- and sub-barrier fusion cross sections have been measured for the system (58)Ni + (54)Fe, and the fusion barrier distribution has been extracted. The measured cross sections cover the range from similar or equal to 1 mu b up to around 500 mb. Close analogies are found between the extracted barrier distribution and the available data on (58)Ni + (60)Ni, indicating the dominating influence of complex surface vibrations on the fusion of (58)Ni + (54)Fe. The present data on (58)Ni + (54)Fe are well reproduced by standard coupled-channels calculations in the measured energy range, including quadrupole and octupole phonons in both colliding nuclei.