Multi-nucleon transfer reactions--A detailed re-examination*

We report the results of a study of multi-nucleon transfer in the reactions of 760 MeV 136Xe with 198Pt and 977 and 1143 MeV 204Hg + 208Pb. In the 136Xe + 198Pt reaction, the Improved Quantum Molecular Dynamics model does an excellent job of describing our results while the predictions of the GRAZING-F and DNS models do not agree with our measurements. In the symmetric 204Hg + 208Pb reaction, none of the models (GRAZING, DNS, ImQMD) describe the measurements adequately. The implications of the model failures for symmetric multi-nucleon transfer reactions for the synthesis of the heaviest nuclei will be discussed.