Anomalous Behavior of Projectile Fragments of Charges ≥ 15 from1.52A-GeVKr3684

Abstract

We have observed a diminution in the measured mean free path of secondary fragments of heavier charges $Z>~15$ at ∼3 standard deviations. For heavier charges $Z>~29$, there seems to be a further reduction in the anomalous mean free path. As many as thirteen secondary interactions of projectile fragments were observed within about 50 μm from their production point against at the most one expected event. The loss of charge observed in these thirteen projectile fragments with respect to the primary charge is very small.