The method of nonmetric multidimensional scaling has been used to attribute spins to a large number of proton capture resonances in five fp-shell nuclei, $^{47}\mathrm{V}$, $^{51}\mathrm{Mn}$, $^{53}\mathrm{Mn}$, $^{55}\mathrm{Co}$, and $^{61}\mathrm{Cu}$, using as input information only the gamma decay branching ratios. The calibration of the method relies on the measured spins of a number of the resonances. In more than half the cases, a unique spin is found. The results of the analysis allow a reappraisal of analog states in the five nuclei.

The 9Be + 9Be, 7Li+11B and α +14C reactions, leading to the 18O compound state in the excitation energy range between 25 and 31 MeV, have been studied by measurement of the cross sections for the characteristic g-rays emitted by the residual nuclei. The cross sections for the two-particle emission channels (nn, np, na, aa) are much larger in the two heavy-ion reactions, 9e+9Be and 7Li + 11B, than in the a + 14C reaction. It is suggested that the large enhancement in the nn and np channels, which do not include any transfer processes, indicates that 9Be+ 9Be and 7Li + 11B form a largely deformed molecular state, from which only low-energy particles can be emitted. A broad resonance is observed at ∼ 28 MeV 18O excitation energy in the 9Be+9Be→ nn16O 7.12 MeV, 7Li+ 11B → nn16O 7.12 MeV and 9Be +9Be → np16N 0.397 MeV reaction channels.

The cross sections for the different exit channels of the 16O + 13C reaction have been determined for incident energies in the range 4.8 ⩽ Ec.m. ⩽ 9.8 MeV by measurement of the characteristic γ-rays emitted by the residual nuclei. The total fusion cross section, obtained as a sum of partial cross sections, agrees with that measured by the total γ-ray yield method and is well described by the global proximity model calculation. The cross section for the 16O(13C, 12C) 17O∗ (0.871 MeV) neutron transfer channel remains small over the whole energy interval investigated.

The 7Li + 11B and 7Li + 13C reactions have been studied at incident energies below and around the Coulomb barrier, by measurement of the cross sections for the characteristic γ-rays emitted by the residual nuclei. The nα, αα and np emission channels are found to be enhanced with respect to the statistical compound nucleus predictions, while the nn and single-particle emission channels are not enhanced. An unusual energy dependence is observed for the 7Li + 11B → nn16O 7.12 MeV channel cross section, suggesting the existence of a broad resonance.