  The N/Z dependence of projectile fragmentation at relativistic energies has
been studied with the ALADIN forward spectrometer at the GSI Schwerionen
Synchrotron (SIS). Stable and radioactive Sn and La beams with an incident
energy of 600 MeV per nucleon have been used in order to explore a wide range
of isotopic compositions. For the interpretation of the data, calculations with
the statistical multifragmentation model for a properly chosen ensemble of
excited sources were performed. The parameters of the ensemble, representing
the variety of excited spectator nuclei expected in a participant-spectator
scenario, are determined empirically by searching for an optimum reproduction
of the measured fragment-charge distributions and correlations. An overall very
good agreement is obtained. The possible modification of the liquid-drop
parameters of the fragment description in the hot freeze-out environment is
studied, and a significant reduction of the symmetry-term coefficient is found
necessary to reproduce the mean neutron-to-proton ratios <N>/Z and the
isoscaling parameters of Z<=10 fragments. The calculations are, furthermore,
used to address open questions regarding the modification of the surface-term
coefficient at freeze-out, the N/Z dependence of the nuclear caloric curve, and
the isotopic evolution of the spectator system between its formation during the
initial cascade stage of the reaction and its subsequent breakup.
