Orbital angular momentum transfer and spin desalignment mechanisms in the deep inelastic collisions Ar+Bi and Ni+Pb using the sequential fission method

Angular momentum transfer and spin dealignment mechanisms have been studied in the deep inelastic collisions Ar+Bi and Ni+Pb using the sequential fission method. This experimental technique consists to measure the angular distribution of the fission fragments of a heavy nucleus in coincidence with the reaction partner, and leads to a complete determination of the heavy nucleus spin distribution. High spin values are transferred to the heavy nucleus in the interaction and indicate that the dinuclear system has reached the rigid rotation limit. A theoretical model, taking into account the excitation of surface vibrations of the nuclei and the nucleon transfer between the two partners, is able to reproduce the high spin values measured in our experiments. The spin fluctuations are important, with values of the order of 15 to 20 h units. These fluctuations increase with the charge transfer from the projectile to the target and the total kinetic energy loss. The spin dealignment mechanisms act mainly in a plane approximately perpendicular to the heavy recoil direction in the laboratory system. These results are well described by a dynamical transport model based on the stochastic exchange of individual nucleons between the two nuclei during the interaction. The origin of the dealignment mechanisms in the spin transfer processes is then related to the statistical nature of the nucleon exchange. However other mechanisms can contribute to the spin dealignment as the surface vibrations, the nuclear deformations as well their relative orientations