DYNAMICAL FRAGMENT PRODUCTION AS A MODE OF ENERGY-DISSIPATION IN HEAVY-ION REACTIONS

Based on measured correlations between experimental observables in the Bi-209+Xe-136 reaction at E/A=28 MeV, it is shown that multiple inter mediate-mass fragment (IMF) production is a dynamical process driven b y the energy of relative motion of projectilelike and targetlike fragm ents. This kinetic energy is converted into thermal energy of the syst em, until a certain ''saturation'' value of approximately 3 MeV/nucleo n is reached. From this point on, this ''conventional'' dissipation me chanism is replaced by dynamical IMF production, constituting a new mo de of energy dissipation.