Search for beyond-mean-field signatures in heavy-ion fusion reactions

High-resolution experimental fusion excitation functions for 16,17,18O + ¹²C reveal a remarkable irregular behavior rooted in the structure of both the colliding nuclei and the quasimolecular composite system. Using a parameter-free time-dependent Hartree-Fock model, the authors assess the influence of the angular-momentum-dependent fusion barriers on fusion. They find that barrier penetrabilities taken directly from a density-constrained calculation provide a significantly improved description of the experimental data. The results expose the remaining deviations between the mean-field predictions and experimental fusion cross sections, and suggest this approach to garner insight into the impact of nuclear structure effects on fusion reactions.