Particle Emission at aNe20Projectile Velocity Comparable to the Fermi Velocity

Abstract

Inclusive energy spectra of the H and He isotopes emitted in the reactions of 860-MeV ${}_{}{}^{20}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Ne}$ with Ni, Ag, and Ta provide evidence that a statistically dominated projectile fragmentation mechanism entirely analogous to that observed at relativistic energies occurs when the projectile velocity becomes comparable to the Fermi velocity in the projectile. Additional particle emission not characteristic of either a fragmentation or compound nucleus source is observed.