Light charged particle emission in 40Ar induced reactions on 68Zn at 14.6, 19.6 and 35 MeV/nucleon

The light charged particles emitted in the 40Ar+68Zn reaction performed at 14.6, 19.6 and 35 MeV/nucleon have been studied inclusively. The energy spectra have been anaysed in terms of preequilibrium emission, moving source and coalescence models. A complete coherence between the present data and those obtained separately from heavy fragment studies is achieved. These data are consistent with the onset of projectile fragmentation between 20 and 35 MeV/nucleon correlated with the formation of a highly excited region of the nuclear system inducing light particle emission. The other sources of light particles can be interpreted as statistical and sequential decay of the quasi projectile. (orig.)