  The isotopic and isobaric scaling behavior of the yield ratios of heavy
projectile residues from the collisions of 25 MeV/nucleon 86Kr projectiles on
124Sn and 112Sn targets is investigated and shown to provide information on the
process of N/Z equilibration occurring between the projectile and the target.
The logarithmic slopes $\alpha$ and $\beta^{'}$ of the residue yield ratios
with respect to residue neutron number N and neutron excess N--Z are obtained
as a function of the atomic number Z and mass number A, respectively, whereas
excitation energies are deduced from velocities. The relation of the isoscaling
parameters $\alpha$ and $\beta^{'}$ with the N/Z of the primary (excited)
projectile fragments is employed to gain access to the degree of N/Z
equilibration prior to fragmentation as a function of excitation energy. A
monotonic relation between the N/Z difference of fragmenting quasiprojectiles
and their excitation energy is obtained indicating that N/Z equilibrium is
approached at the highest observed excitation energies. Simulations with a
deep-inelastic transfer model are in overall agreement with the isoscaling
conclusions. The present residue isoscaling approach to N/Z equilibration
offers an attractive tool of isospin and reaction dynamics studies in
collisions involving beams of stable or rare isotopes.
