An experimental study of the ${}_{}{}^{20}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Ne}$ + ${}_{}{}^{12}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{C}$ systems reveals a large cross section for inelastic scattering with large negative $Q$ values at backward angles. The differential cross section is proportional to $\frac{1}{{sin\theta }_{\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{m}.\mathrm{}}}>100\mathrm{}°$ and has characteristics consistent with the decay of an orbiting ${}_{}{}^{20}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Ne}$ + ${}_{}{}^{12}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{C}$ dinuclear system.

• Received 23 July 1979

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.43.1781