Angular Momentum Transfer in Deeply Inelastic Collisions from Exclusive Sequential-Fission Experiments

Abstract

Kinematically complete experiments have been performed on the three-body exit channels in 7.5 MeV/amu ${}_{}{}^{208}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Pb}$ and ${}_{}{}^{238}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{U}$ on ${}_{}{}^{58}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Ni}$ and ${}_{}{}^{90}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Zr}$. The bulk of the events (>99%) can be interpreted as sequential fission following deeply inelastic collisions. From the angular correlations, oriented-spin values up to $45\hslash$ are deduced for the heavy fissioning fragment. Their constancy at large energy losses points to strong fluctuations in the correlation between energy loss and angular momentum.