Reaction 40Ca+natCu at 35 MeV/nucleon measured with the AMPHORA multidetector. Study of the excitation energy and angular momentum of the reconstructed projectile-like fragment

We have studied the reaction of 40Ca with natCu at 35 MeV/nucleon with the AMPHORA multidetector. Three different reaction models were developed and we have shown that a simulation of the AMPHORA response is necessary to interpret the experimental results. Only two-body events were analyzed. Kinematic selection criterions, based on relative velocity, were used in order to isolate particles and residues coming from the de-excitation of the projectile-like fragment. The reconstitution of such a nucleus allowed to define the reaction plane and to calculate the energy balance event-by-event. We have proposed a method to determine the angular momentum based on the emission asymmetry of the light particles with respect to the normal to the reaction plane. The estimated angular momenta are in good agreement with the theoretical predictions. The projectile-like fragment temperature was estimated from the energy spectra of the light particles. The independent determination of the excitation energy, temperature and angular momentum allowed to calculate the level density parameter. This quantity does not evolve with the excitation energy and is equal to A/8. The projectile-like fragment de-excitation mode is mainly evaporation