Cross sections for multineutron transfer reactions in ${}^{58}\mathrm{Ni}{+}^{124}\mathrm{Sn}$ collisions have been measured with good particle identification at four energies around the Coulomb barrier. The angle- and energy-integrated multineutron transfer cross sections exhibit an exponential falloff with increasing number of transferred neutrons. The elastic scattering and one-nucleon transfer reaction data can be reproduced well by coupled-channels calculations and distorted-wave Born approximation calculations, respectively, using the same optical potential. The transfer probabilities for each transfer channel, plotted as a function of the distance of closest approach, fall on a common exponential curve; the slopes of these exponential falloff curves are discussed.

• Received 10 December 1997

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.57.2393