Total fusion cross section for theO16+O16system

Total fusion cross sections ${\sigma }_F$ have been measured for ${}_{}{}^{16}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{O}$+${}_{}{}^{16}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{O}$ at bombarding energies 27-66 MeV using the $E-\Delta E$ or the time-of-flight techniques. The fusion excitation function shows oscillations in agreement with the resonances produced in the total reaction cross section by a surface-transparent potential. The results are compared to those obtained via the $\gamma$-ray technique and the importance of direct decay to ground states is discussed. Mass and total angular distributions are well reproduced by statistical model calculations which take angular momentum into account explicity. Barrier and critical parameters are extracted from the average energy behavior of ${\sigma }_F$. No evidence for shell effects as predicted by Glas and Mosel is found on the measured fusion cross sections.