their atomic number (Z), mass number (A), and incident energy. After exiting the small ionization chamber the ions are incident on a 100 $\mu$g/cm$^2$ carbon foil. This foil serves both as a secondary electron emission foil for the target microchannel plate detector (MCP$\mathrm{_{TGT}}$) and as the target for the fusion experiment.

![\[fig:pid\] (Color online) Two dimensional spectrum depicting dependence of the energy deposited in the annular silicon detector, T2, on the mass of the ion. The dashed (red) rectangle indicates the region of the evaporation residues. Inset: Mass distribution of ions detected within the interval 13 MeV $<$ E$_{Si}$ $<$ 41 MeV. Vertical lines indicate the A limits used to designate evaporation residues.](EA_19O12C_E18_1P1R.eps)

By utilizing the timing signals from both microchannel plate detectors together with the ionization chamber a $\Delta$E-TOF measurement is performed. This measurement allows identification of ions in the beam as indicated in the inset of Fig. \[fig:setup\]. Clearly evident in the figure are three peaks associated with the $^{19}$O$^{7+}$ ions, $^{18}$O$^{7+}$ ions, and $^{18}$O$^{6+}$ ions. The $^{19}$O ions corresponded to 31 % of the beam intensity with the $^{18}$O$^{7+}$ and $^{18}$O$^{6+}$ corresponding to approximately 20 % and 29 % respectively. Fusion of $^{19}$O (or $^{18}$O) nuclei in the beam together with $^{12}$C nuclei in the target foil results in the production of an excited $^{31}$Si (or correspondingly $^{30}$Si) nucleus. For collisions near the Coulomb barrier the excitation of the fusion product is relatively modest, E$^*$ $\approx$ 35 MeV. This fusion product de-excites by evaporation of a few neutrons, protons, and $\alpha$ particles resulting in evaporation residues (ERs). Statistical model calculations [@evapor] indicate that for $^{31}$Si compound nucleus, the nuclei $^{30}$Si, $^{29}$Si, $^{28}$Si, $^{29}$Al, $^{28}$Al, $^{27}$Mg, and $^{26}$Mg account for the bulk of the ERs. These ERs are deflected from the beam direction by the 