Excitation and Spin of Projectile-like fragments produced in peripheral and mid-peripheral collisions of intermediate energy heavy-ions

We examine the relationship between the velocity damping of the projectile and its excitation by examining peripheral and mid-peripheral collisions in the reaction 106,114Cd + 98,92Mo at E/A = 50 MeV. Projectile-like fragments (PLFs) observed in the angular range theta=2-4 deg. are identified by their atomic number using an annular Si/CsI(Tl) telescope with good angular and energy resolution. By measuring the emission of isotopically identified charged particles (Z<10) to larger angles (theta = 7-58 deg.), associated with these PLFs, particle multiplicities are deduced along with the kinetic energies of the emitted particles. A clear correlation between the velocity damping of the PLF and the measured multiplicities and spectral slopes is observed. Using a calorimetric approach, an approximately linear relation between velocity damping and excitation is deduced. Both calorimetry, as well as, the extracted spectral slopes indicate that for the most damped events, excitation of the primary PLF to a temperature near its limiting temperature occurs. Extension of this work with N/Z exotic projectiles will be discussed.