Quantifying resonance behavior in the fusion of O17 with C12 at above-barrier energies

Recent measurement of the fusion excitation function for $^{17}\mathrm{O}+^{12}\mathrm{C}$ reported the significant suppression of the fusion cross section at ${E}_{\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{m}.}\ensuremath{\approx}14$ MeV. This suppression was hypothesized to signal the existence of a $^{16}\mathrm{O}+n+^{12}\mathrm{C}$ molecular configuration. Using the active-target detector MuSIC@Indiana provided an effective means of reexamining the fusion excitation function for $^{17}\mathrm{O}+^{12}\mathrm{C}$. The accuracy of this thick-target measurement is strengthened through comparison with the thin-target measurement of the excitation function for $^{17}\mathrm{F}+^{12}\mathrm{C}$. The result provides important information about the dependence of the average fusion cross section for the oxygen isotopic chain on neutron excess.