Correlations between reaction product yields as a tool for probing heavy-ion reaction scenarios

Experimental multidimensional joint distributions of neutrons and charged reaction products were analyzed for Xe136+Bi209 reactions at E/A=28, 40, and 62 MeV and were found to exhibit several different types of prominent correlation patterns. Some of these correlations have a simple explanation in terms of the system excitation energy and pose little challenge to most statistical decay theories. However, several other types of correlation patterns are difficult to reconcile with some, but not other, possible reaction scenarios. In this respect, correlations between the average atomic numbers of intermediate-mass fragments, on the one hand, and light particle multiplicities, on the other, are notable. This kind of multiparticle correlation provides a useful tool for probing reaction scenarios, which is different from the traditional approach of interpreting inclusive yields of individual reaction products.