Langevin description of fusion, deep-inelastic collisions and heavy-ion-induced fission

The description of fusion of heavy ions, deep-inelastic heavy-ion collisions and heavy-ion-induced fission in the framework of Langevin equations is reviewed. The Langevin equations are derived within an idealized schematic model. These equations are applied with the aim to reproduce the experimental data. In order to be able to do so the potential and the transport coefficients are not taken from the schematic model but from the phenomenological surface friction model in the case of fusion and deep-inelastic collisions. In the case of heavy-ion-induced fission we deal mainly with a model which is a combination of a dynamical Langevin and a statistical model description. Here again the input is chosen phenomenologically in such a way that a universal reproduction of the data for a large multitude of observables is possible. Comparison with related work of other authors is performed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.