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Within the ultrarelativistic quantum molecular dynamics (UrQMD) model, by reversely tracing nucleons that are finally emitted at mid-rapidity (| y 0 | < 0.1) in the entire reaction process, the time evolution of elliptic flow (v 2) of these traced nucleons is studied in Au+Au collisions at beam energy of 0.4 GeV/nucleon with different impact parameters. The initial value of v 2 is positive and increases with impact parameter, it then decreases as time passes and tends to saturate at a negative value. It is found that nucleon-nucleon collisions always suppress the value of v 2 (enhance the out-of-plane emission), while the nuclear mean field potential effect is more complex, which depends on both impact parameter and reaction time. The most relevant density probed by v 2 of nucleons at mid-rapidity is found to be ∼ 60% of the maximum density reached during the collisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The elliptic flow ratio of neutrons versus protons in heavy-ion collisions (HICs) is one of the important probes to constrain the nuclear symmetry energy, however measuring the flow of neutrons with high precision is a great challenge for experimental techniques. In this work, the elliptic flow of protons is studied and it is found that the rapidity at which the sign of v 2 changes from negative to positive is sensitive to the density dependence of the symmetry energy. By comparing the existing FOPI experimental data for proton flows to the calculations with the ultrarelativistic quantum molecular dynamics (UrQMD) model, the slope parameter of the nuclear symmetry energy is extracted to be L 0 = 43 ± 20 MeV at 95% confidence level. This is in good agreement with many recent results from investigations of nuclear structure properties and also partly overlaps with the recent result of the ASY-EOS experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within two different frameworks of isospin-dependent transport model, effect of nuclear symmetry energy at supradensities on the isospin-fractionation (IsoF) was investigated. With positive/negative symmetry potential at supradensities (i.e., values of symmetry energy increase/decrease with density above saturation density), for energetic nucleons, the value of neutron to proton ratio of free nucleons is larger/smaller than that of bound nucleon fragments. Compared with extensively studied quantitative observables of nuclear symmetry energy, the normal or abnormal isospin-fractionation of energetic nucleons can be a qualitative probe of nuclear symmetry energy at supradensities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]