Inverse-kinematics study of 78Kr + 40Ca at 10 AMeV

The CHIMERA multi-detector array at LNS Catania has been used to study the inverse-kinematics reaction of 78 Kr + 40 Ca at a bombarding energy of 10 A MeV. Analysis of the experimental data focused on a class of selected events consistent with the complete fusion and subsequent binary split of the of the reacting system. This class of events features a broad A, Z distribution of fission fragments centered about symmetric fission while exhibiting relative velocities significantly higher than given by Viola systematics. The center-of-mass angular distribution (d σ /dΘ) of the fission fragments exhibit an unexpected anisotropy inconsistent with a compound-nucleus reaction and indicates a dynamic fusion-fission like process. The observed angular distribution features an asymmetric forward-backward peaking most prevalent for mass-asymmetric events. Furthermore, the more massive fragment of mass-asymmetric events appears to emerge preferentially in the forward direction, along the beam axis, in analogy to dynamic fragmentation of projectile-like fragments. Analysis of the angular distribution of alpha particles emitted from these fission fragments suggests the events are associated mostly with central collisions.