Complete distributions of the light and intermediate mass fragments ( $Z=1\mathrm{}$–6) produced within the polar angular range $1^{\circ }\le {\Theta }_{\mathrm{lab}}\le {30}^{\circ }$ in highly central collisions of 250 $A$MeV Au $+$ Au are presented. The results of this measurement and a model analysis are used to study the expansion and clustering of the hot and compressed transient state formed in central collisions of such a heavy system. The influence of the initial conditions on the final observables is discussed.

• Received 7 November 1994

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.74.5001