Peculiarities in fragment mass distribution in the 238U + 40Ar (243 MeV) reaction

2001

A pronounced fine structure (FS) in the form of distinct peaks was observed in neutron gated mass spectra from the decay of the 278110 composite system produced in the reaction 238U + 40Ar (243 MeV) at an initial excitation energy E * > 70 MeV. The FS peaks are located in the vicinity of mass numbers 70-80, 100, and 130, which correspond to those of magic nuclei (clusters). In the data there is also evidence for a new type of decay -- collinear cluster tripartition of an excited nucleus.