DECAY MODES OF HIGH SPIN STATES IN LIGHT NUCLEI

The excitation energy in 42Ca populated in the reaction 28Si (16O, 2pγ) for a beam energy of 40 MeV has been measured by detecting both protons from the reaction. The average γ-multiplicity and de-excitation pattern of Yrast states was measured as a function of total excitation energy. The data suggest that for states of high angular momentum (J > 10) α-particle emission is the dominant mode of decay