In a recent publication Csótó suggests that the sequential decay of ${}_{}{}^{11}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Li}$ through resonances in ${}_{}{}^{10}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Li}$ could explain the peak seen at 1.2 MeV of excitation in the ${}_{}{}^{11}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{B}$(${\mathrm{\pi }}^{\mathrm{-}}$,${\mathrm{\pi }}^{+}$) reaction. We point out that this is in conflict with widely accepted notions of probe and target interactions in the measurement of inclusive excitation functions via nuclear reactions ranging from inelastic scattering and heavy-ion transfer reactions to pion double-charge exchange. We also show that the suggested mechanism leads to incorrect predictions in other nuclei, and so we conclude that the apparent success of the mechanism in explaining the observed energy of excited states in the ${}_{}{}^{11}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Li}$ and ${}_{}{}^6{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{He}$ systems is accidental.

• Received 9 November 1994

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.52.2807