Decay patterns of dysprosium nuclei produced in ³²S+^118,124Sn fusion reactions

Multiplicity distributions of neutrons and energy spectra of light charged particles have been measured in coincidence with evaporation residues from the ³²S+^118,124Sn fusion reactions at E_lab=130–180 MeV. The experimental data are found to be in agreement with the results of statistical-model calculations, provided a=A/12 MeV^-1 is assumed for the effective level-density parameter for all nuclides in the decay path. Simulation calculations have further shown that such a low value of the level-density parameter cannot be explained as a result of a possible population of superdeformed bands, unaccounted for by the statistical-decay code.