Search for oscillations in evaporation α-particle spectra from hot compound nuclei

The inclusive α-particle spectra from ¹⁶O+⁸⁹Y, ¹²C+⁹³Nb, and ¹⁶O+⁹³Nb reactions around 6–7 MeV/nucleon incident energy (laboratory) have been studied. These spectra have been fitted very well using an algebraic expression for the statistical emission of particles from the compound nucleus and subsequent daughter nuclei. We do not find any statistically significant oscillations in the remaining spectra after subtracting out the contributions due to initial and sequential emissions from the compound nuclei, thus showing no direct evidence for the existence of α particles as independent particles in the nuclei.