SPLINTERING CENTRAL COLLISIONS - SYSTEMATICS OF MOMENTUM AND ENERGY DEPOSITION FOR (17-115)A MEV AR-40

Measurements are reported for fragment masses and velocities from the reactions (17-115)A MeV Ar-40+Cu, Ag, and Au. Charged particle multipl icities were used to select the most violent reactions, and systematic s are reported for the momentum and energy deposition. These reactions are fusionlike for less than or similar to 44A MeV Ar-40 With a large fraction of momentum and energy deposition in the heavy nuclear syste m. However, for greater than or similar to 44A MeV Ar-40, a majority o f the projectile energy and momentum is carried away by a multibody sp ray of light ejectiles and only a minority is deposited in the heavy n ucleus. Nevertheless heavy composite systems are formed with up to 9-1 2 MeV per source nucleon for 115A MeV Ar-40.