COMPLEX FRAGMENT EMISSION AT 50 MeV/u: COMPOUND NUCLEI FOREVER?

Abstract Fragments with 12⩽ Z ⩽35 have been detected in the reaction of 50 MeV/u 139 La on 12 C and are shown to be produced solely by the binary decay of a compound nucleaus formed in an incomplete fusion reaction. The source velocity, CM velocities, cross sections, and angular distributions extracted from the inclusive data are entirely consistent with this mechanism. The binary coincidence data confirm this interpretation and can be quantitatively accounted for by the singles data.