Low Density Nuclear Matter in Fermi Energy Collisions
J. Natowitz
Department of Chemistry and Cyclotron Institute
Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843
Various experimental results indicate that low density nuclear gases can be produced in near
Fermi-energy heavy ion collisions. In the later stages of the collisions these gases may
become thermally and chemically equilibrated. Measurements of various features of light
cluster formation during these collisions may be used as a tool to probe the temperature and
density evolution during the collision. With suitable theoretical modeling this information
can be used to explore the nuclear equation of state at sub-normal densities, a region of
importance in both the nuclear and astrophysical contexts. Cluster formation in low
4
density nuclear matter produced in the reactions of He,
projectiles with
112
Sn and
124
10
B,
20
Ne,
40
Sn target nuclei at 47 MeV/u will be discussed.
Ar, and
64
Zn