The energy spectra of fragments produced in the ${}_{}{}^{20}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Ne}$ + ${}_{}{}^{197}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Au}$ reaction at $E_{\mathrm{lab}}=400\mathrm{}$ MeV are found to exhibit a fully relaxed component clearly separated from the quasi-elastic component, the latter being characterized by a mean velocity near to the beam velocity. The consequences for the assignment of the deep-inelastic component in similar systems are discussed.

[NUCLEAR REACTIONS ${}_{}{}^{197}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Au}({}_{}{}^{20}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Ne},X)$, $X={}_{}{}^{14}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{N},{}_{}{}^{16}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{O}$, measured $\sigma (E,\theta )$; observed fully relaxed and quasi-elastic component; natural target.]

• Received 17 November 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.24.759