Correlations between two protons at small relative momenta are presented for ${}_{}{}^{16}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{O}$-induced reactions on ${}_{}{}^{12}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{C}$ and ${}_{}{}^{27}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Al}$ at 400 MeV. These data are well described by a statistical calculation which incorporates the thermal emission of the particle-unstable nucleus, ${}_{}{}^2{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{He}$, from the compound nucleus. The good agreement suggests that the emission of particle-unstable light nuclei can be an important decay channel for highly excited nuclear systems, and can strongly influence two-particle correlations.

• Received 14 November 1984

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.54.402