Distribution of Ir and Pt isotopes produced as fragments of 1 A GeV 197Au projectiles: a thermometer for peripheral nuclear collisions

Abstract Cross sections of iridium and platinum isotopes have been measured, which were produced as fragments from 197 Au projectiles interacting with aluminum target nuclei at 1 A GeV. The fragments were identified by a kinematic analysis ( ΔE − Bρ -time-of-flight) and by an ion-optical separation at the projectile-fragment separator FRS at GSI. Indications are found for high excitation energies and weak proton-neutron correlations in the peripheral nuclear-collision process.