Coplanarity of two-proton emissions in 400 MeV/nucleon Ne + NaF, Pb reactions

Two-proton coincidence spectra have been measured in a wide kinematical range for 20Ne + NaF and 20Ne + Pb collisions at 400 MeV/nucleon. Coplanar-type correlations show different feature between Ne + NaF and Ne + Pb target reactions. A strong in-plane correlation, which correspond to quasi-elastic scatterings (QES) of nucleons, was observed in wide angular range (15 to 900) in NaF target collisions. Angular distributions of QES were reproduced reasonably well by a single nucleon-nucleon scattering model. Enhancement of the QES at momentum transfer around t = 2 - 3m/sub π/, which is predicted as an indication of pionic instability, was not observed. In Ne + Pb collisions, an azimuthally asymmetric emission of particles with respect to the beam axis were implied by the anti-coplanar correlation. A new type of coplanar correlation between the emission angle and the momentum suggests a back-to-back emission of projectile and target nucleons. 8 references, 8 figures