SENSITIVITY OF 2-FRAGMENT CORRELATION-FUNCTIONS TO INITIAL-STATE MOMENTUM CORRELATIONS

Two-fragment reduced-velocity correlation functions were measured for small-impact-parameter collisions of Kr-86+Nb-93 at E/A=50 MeV and com pared to results of many-body Coulomb-trajectory calculations performe d for instantaneous and sequential multifragment breakup scenarios. Th e correlation functions indicate emission on a very shea time scale an d appear consistent with an instantaneous breakup scenario, even thoug h they exhibit a pronounced dependence on fragment kinetic energy when fragments are emitted at large transverse momenta. For the case of in stantaneous breakup, sensitivities to initial-state momentum correlati ons due to total momentum conservation and to different emission patte rns are investigated. For fragments emitted with large transverse mome nta, momentum conservation constraints can cause a dependence of reduc ed-velocity correlation functions on fragment energy and fragment char ge similar to those observed experimentally.