Fission time scales from prescisson charged-particle multiplicities

Prescission charged-particle multiplicities, following fusion of ${}_{}{}^{164,167,170}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Er}$ ${+}^{28}$Si, have been measured. The multiplicities at the lowest bombarding energies limit the statistical model level density parameters. More importantly, the α data restrict the time spent near equilibrium and suggest evaporation occurs predominantly from larger deformations.