Role of the shape deformation in 12C + 12C fusion at sub-Coulomb energies

Abstract

The fusion cross section of 12C+12C system at the energies of astrophysical interest is calculated in the framework of barrier penetration model taking into account the deformed shape of interacting nuclei. In particular, the quadrupole surface deformation of both projectile and target nuclei has been included during the fusion process. The real and imaginary parts of nucleus-nucleus interactions performed using the Woods-Saxon square and Woods-Saxon functions, respectively have been carefully tested by 12C-12C elastic scattering data analysis before employed to evaluate the astrophysical S factors (the fusion cross sections). The optical model results of elastic angular distributions are consistent with the experimental data. Within the barrier penetration model, the real part of the obtained optical potential gives a good description of the non-resonant astrophysical S factor. It turns out that the taking into account of quadrupole deformation of 12C nuclei increases the astrophysical S factor at energies below Coulomb barrier.