Protons from 8B+58Ni

Proton angular distributions are measured for the exotic proton-halo nucleus 8B on a 58Ni target. The proton spectra are well described by statistical model calculations using the code PACE if both complete and incomplete fusion are taken into account. Fusion cross sections are deduced by using calculated proton multiplicities, a technique that is first successfully tested with the better known beam 6Li. The resulting fusion excitation function shows a large enhancement that requires a strikingly large barrier radius in order to be described, consistent with the assumption of a proton halo for 8B.