Charged particle multiplicities in reactions of Ag with ${}_{}{}^{40}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Ar}$ of 7, 17, 27, and 34 MeV/nucleon

Systematic results are presented for multiplicity distributions of ${}_{}{}^{1,2,3}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{H}$ and ${}_{}{}^{3,4,6,8}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{He}$ produced in reactions of ${}_{}{}^{\mathrm{nat}}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Ag}$ with ${}_{}{}^{40}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Ar}$ beams of 280, 680, 1080, and 1356 MeV. A variety of gating conditions is explored and classified in connection with the more peripheral or the more central collisions. Correlations between H-He multiplicity and Z or angle of projectilelike fragments follow qualitative expectations for deeply inelastic scattering. Pairs of light charged particles or intermediate-mass fragments at side angles are well correlated with the most violent collisions, leading to incomplete fusion. The cross sections for these more central collisions imply entrance-channel orbital angular momenta up to ≊300ħ in the reactions that form very highly excited composite nuclear systems.