  A large enhancement in the production of neutron-rich projectile residues is
observed in the reactions of a 25 MeV/nucleon 86Kr beam with the neutron rich
124Sn and 64Ni targets relative to the predictions of the EPAX parametrization
of high-energy fragmentation, as well as relative to the reaction with the less
neutron-rich 112Sn target. The data demonstrate the significant effect of the
target neutron-to-proton ratio (N/Z) in peripheral collisions at Fermi
energies. A hybrid model based on a deep-inelastic transfer code (DIT) followed
by a statistical de-excitation code appears to account for part of the observed
large cross sections. The DIT simulation indicates that the production of the
neutron-rich nuclides in these reactions is associated with peripheral nucleon
exchange. In such peripheral encounters, the neutron skins of the neutron-rich
124Sn and 64Ni target nuclei may play an important role. From a practical
viewpoint, such reactions between massive neutron-rich nuclei offer a novel and
attractive synthetic avenue to access extremely neutron-rich rare isotopes
towards the neutron-drip line.
