Reaction dynamics of weakly bound nuclei at near-barrier energies

The above-barrier suppression of complete fusion in reactions with weakly bound stable nuclei displays a strong correlation with their breakup threshold. Simplistically, this observation suggests that suppression of complete fusion is due to the direct breakup of the weakly bound partner, prior to reaching the barrier. However, new measurements of breakup at energies below the fusion barrier show that breakup following transfer, rather than direct breakup, is the dominant mechanism. The insights into the physical mechanisms of breakup from these measurements, in conjunction with theoretical developments, are being used to obtain an understanding of the relationship between sub-barrier breakup and suppression of complete fusion.