Emission of unbound 8Be and 12C* (0+2) clusters in compound nucleus reactions

We have studied the emission of light unbound clusters, 8Be and 12C * (0+2), in the reactions 18O + 13C rarr{31} Si rarr{23} Ne + 8Be and 28Si + 24Mg rarr{52} Fe rarr{40} Ca + 12C * (0+2). The gamma-ray spectra obtained in coincidence with 8Be and 12C * (0+2) emission have been studied relative to the statistical emission of two or three agr-particles. The angular-momentum-to-energy balance of the cluster emission is compared with that of multiple-agr emission. The properties of the energy spectra of the binary process and the population of the residual nuclei by cluster emission are discussed. It is observed that cluster emission carries away less excitation energy on average than the sequential emission of the individual components.