Fusion and quasi-fission dynamics in nearly-symmetric reactions

Abstract: Some nearly-symmetric fusion reactions are systematically investigated with the improved quantum molecular dynamics (ImQMD) model. By introducing two-body inelastic scattering in the Fermi constraint procedure, the stability of an individual nucleus and the description of fusion cross sections at energies near the Coulomb barrier can be further improved. Simultaneously, the quasi-fission process in $^{154}$Sm+$^{160}$Gd is also investigated with the microscopic dynamics model for the first time. We find that at energies above the Bass barrier, the fusion probability is smaller than $10^{-5}$ for this reaction, and the nuclear contact-time is generally smaller than $1500$ fm/c. From the central collisions of Sm+Gd, the neutron-rich fragments such as $^{164,165}$Gd, $^{192}$W can be produced in the ImQMD simulations, which implies that the quasi-fission reaction could be an alternative way to synthesize new neutron-rich heavy nuclei.