EVIDENCE FOR ANGULAR MOMENTUM FRACTIONATION IN 86Kr-INDUCED REACTIONS ON 107,109Ag, 165Ho AND 197Au

Gamma-ray multiplicities have been measured as a function of the light-fragment atomic number Z{sub 3} for the above reactions. The events associated with sequential fission of the heavy fragment were distinguished from binary events by means of a triple coincidence. The failure of the measured y-multiplicities for deep-inelastic collisions to rise with decreasing Z{sub 3}, according to the rigid-rotation limit, appears more likely to be associated with a selective population of the low Z fragments by the lower {ell}-waves rather than to an incomplete relaxation of the rotational energy.