Blurred images of complete fusion and incomplete fusion: Reaction simulation analysis of fission-fragment angular correlations

We use Monte Carlo reaction simulation calculations to reassess several studies of fissionfragment angular correlations. The reactions chosen are 15–30 MeV/nucleon14N +238U and 14.6 MeV/nucleon20Ne +197Au. Reanalysis by means of these stimulations leads to much lower limits than originally reported for the fraction of complete fusion. We infer that at these energies the probability is very large for the direct emission of at least one light particle prior to fission. This implies that the distinction between “complete fusion” and “incomplete fusion” has become blurred beyond meaningful distinction.