Empirical description of heavy-ion fusion cross sections

Fusion cross sections for projectiles ranging from <SUP>4</SUP>He to <SUP>40</SUP>Ar and for compound systems with mass numbers between 24 and 242 are successfully described by an empirical four parameter expression. The energy-dependence is similar to that of Horn and Ferguson. The mass-dependence is more appropriately described in terms of the reduced mass and the geometrical dependence is given in terms of the radii of the interacting nuclei. The maximum fusion cross section and the energy at which the maximum occurs are predicted in agreement with the experimental data