  The Coulomb dissociation is studied of the $^8L$i nuclei on Pb target at
energies 40.3 and 69.5 MeV/nucleon, in the experiment NSCL #03038. The
$^{6,7}$Li, $^{4,6}$He, and $^2$H fragments were identified. The resonance
decay and the direct breakup reactions were observed. The data give
experimental evidence that the Coulomb dissociation is a two-step process. The
projectile in the approaching phase is braked down and the valence neutron gets
forced oscillation. The increasing Coulonb force holds the projectile and
brings through the excited states up to the closest approach point. There
released, the projectile is trapped into a primary, highly excited state in the
continuum. The lifetime of the primary state depends on the multipolarity of
the deformed projectile. At intermediate energy the collision is a sudden
reaction, the valence neutron may stay --- during the impact --- in the forward
or backward hemisphere of the nucleus, and the orbit of the valence neutron
gets prolate or oblate, dipole or multipole deformation and the nucleus gets
single-particle or collective excitation. The primary excited states,
developing will decay prompt or delayed into the same reaction channel,
resulting in the two decay mechanisms.
