Anomalous populations of particle-unbound states in [sup 10]B

Relative populations of particle unstable states in [sup 10]B were measured for the normal kinematics reactions [sup 14]N+[sup 27]Al and [sup 14]N+[sup 197]Au at [ital E]/[ital A]=75 MeV, the nearly symmetric reaction [sup 129]Xe+[sup 122]Sn at [ital E]/[ital A]=31 MeV, and the inverse kinematics reaction [sup 129]Xe+[sup 27]Al at [ital E]/[ital A]=31 MeV. In all cases, populations of excited states are incompatible with statistical populations of the known excited states of this nucleus. For the [sup 129]Xe-induced reactions, discrepancies are smaller than for the [sup 14]N-induced reactions. The overall agreement with statistical calculations is improved by assuming a proposed but not confirmed 3[sup +] excited state contributing to the group of levels at [ital E][sup *]=6 MeV.