Proton induced pre–equilibrium reactions to the continuum as a test to the reaction mechanism

Pre-equilibrium proton induced emissions of light complex nuclei with energies in the continuum have been studied comprehensively for many years. The process is considered as an intra-nuclear nucleon-nucleon multistep statistical reaction with typical double-differential cross sections and especially analyzing power distributions. The final stage of the reaction may be a result of a direct pickup or knockout of the ejectile. The discussion on this subject continues to be a hot topic for theoretical and experimental investigations. Here we will discuss the interplay between the knockout and pickup mechanisms as final step of the pre-equilibrium reaction and its dependence on the energy of the projectile.