Additional evidence for fusion-fission in 32S+24Mg reactions: Division of excitation energy and spin in the fission fragments

We have measured γ rays in coincidence with 12C fragments from the fission of 56Ni produced with the 32S+24Mg reaction at Elab=140 MeV. These data provide insight into the fission process in this light system by giving information about the energy and spin sharing between the 12C and 44Ti fragments, and the spin alignment of the lighter, 12C fragment. The spin transfer and the nuclear ''temperature'' at scission deduced from this measurement can be related to the compound-nucleus spin and potential energy at scission. The results indicate a statistical decay process consistent with the predictions of the transition-state model employing newer estimates of the spin- and mass-asymmetry-dependent saddle-point energies and corresponding shapes. No evidence is found for the spin alignment of the 12C fragments, contrary to what might be expected for a deep-inelastic scattering origin of the fully energy damped yields