First indication of population of superdeformed states by incomplete fusion reactions

The high-spin normally deformed and superdeformed states of Hg-194 have been populated in an exit channel of the O-16+W-186 reaction at 110 in MeV bombarding energy. The Doppler shift analysis of the energies of the gamma transitions de-exciting both normally deformed and superdeformed states in Hg-194 indicates a lower recoil velocity of the Hg-194 nucleus compared to that of the Pb-196 nucleus obtained from the 6n exit channel of the complete-fusion compound nucleus. This suggests that incomplete fusion plays the main role in the population of normally deformed and superdeformed states of Hg-194 in this reaction.