Remeasurement of ⁴⁰Ar and ⁸⁴Kr Excitation Functions Leading to the Same Compound Nucleus, ¹⁵⁸Er

Excitation functions were redetermined for the reactions ¹¹⁸Sn(⁴⁰Ar,5-6n) ^153-152Er and ⁷⁴Ge(⁸⁴Kr,5-6n) ^153-152Er, at two accelerators. Data obtained at the two accelerators agree. The new energy values are, however, different from those published earlier, and no significant differences occur between the (Ar,xn) and (Kr,xn) reactions leading to the same product nucleus. Thus, special mechanisms, such as pre-equilibrium neutron emission and angular-momentum windows, are not needed to interpret the new data.