Heavy-ion transfer reactions

Abstract

This review is a non-technical outline of our understanding of the mechanisms of heavy-ion transfer reactions, of what has been learned about the nucleus from the use of these reactions, and of the problems presently being investigated. The subject matter is chiefly restricted to reactions in which transitions to individual levels can be resolved and to reactions induced by projectiles heavier than boron and lighter than calcium at energies up to a few MeV per nucleon. The considerations involved in the design of experiments are summarised and the theoretical framework within which the reactions are usually analysed is described. The nuclear structure information which can be obtained from heavy-ion transfer reactions is illustrated by examples culled from single- and multi-nucleon transfer reaction experiments.