Complex fragment production and multifragmentation in 139La-induced reactions at 35, 40, 45 and 55 MeV/u

Abstract Complex fragment emission ( Z >3) has been studied in the reactions of 35, 40, 45 and 55 MeV/u 139 La+X. Charge, angular, and energy distributions were measured inclusively and in coincidence with other complex fragments, and were used to extract source rapidities, velocity distributions, and cross sectins. Multifragment events increase with both bombarding energy and entrance-channel mass asymmetry. The excitation functions for multifragment events rise strongly with excitation energy. These excitation functions are independent of the target-projectile combination and bombarding energy suggesting, the formation of an intermediate nuclear system, whose decay properties depend mainly on its excitation energy and angular momentum.