Multiphonon couplings in the sub‐barrier fusion of 36S+140Ce

Fusion cross sections have been measured for the system 36S + 140Ce in the energy range encompassing the Coulomb barrier. A representation of the fusion barrier distribution has been obtained from the second energy derivative of the excitation function. The data are well described by coupled-channels calculations including two-phonon states of quadrupole and octupole character in the target (140Ce) and one octupole phonon in the projectile. The importance of 140Ce low-lying inelastic excitations has been pointed out. © 2006 American Institute of Physics.