Fusion and elastic scattering cross sections for the ^(16)O+ ^(16)O reactions near the Coulomb barrier

The reactions following ^(16)O+^(16)O fusion have been measured at c.m. energies from 7.0 MeV to 12.0 MeV. Partial and total cross sections were determined from the γ-ray yields measured with a Ge(Li) detector. Elastic scattering differential cross sections from E_(c.m) = 6.9 MeV to 12.9 MeV were also studied. The new experimental results are compared with those of other experimenters. IWBC model and optical model calculations have been fitted to the data, as part of an astrophysically motivated program to study the low energy (sub-barrier) region of light heavy-ion reactions