Nature of molecular resonances and background in the /sup 16/O+ /sup 12/C system
High-resolution total reaction excitation functions for /sup 16/O+ /sup 12/C and detailed angular distributions for the reaction /sup 12/C(/sup 16/O,..cap alpha..)/sup 24/Mg have been measured. The interplay between (fifteen) resonance amplitudes and l-window (background) amplitudes is emphasized. Spin assignments, obtained from the ..cap alpha../sub 0/ data, are dominated by values of 8h and 9h while the grazing partial wave varies from l = 5 to l = 10 over the energy range studied. Elastic widths for the low-energy resonances indicate a dinuclear molecular nature; higher-energy resonances appear to originate from a more complex nuclear configuration.