Excitation energy division in the first 160 MeV of total kinetic energy loss for the reaction 684 MeV ⁸⁰Kr+¹⁷⁴Yb

The fraction of the total excitation energy imparted to the primary target-like fragment produced in the reaction 684 MeV ⁸⁰Kr+¹⁷⁴Yb has been determined for one charge asymmetry in the exit channel. This fraction was deduced from the kinetic energy cost of evaporating neutrons from the target-like fragment and is approximately 0.5 for total kinetic energy losses as large as 160 MeV. This result is consistent with the predictions of nucleon exchange models and indicates that for some exit channels thermal equilibrium has not been reached for energy losses corresponding to a sizeable fraction of the maximum kinetic energy relaxation.