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Within the ultrarelativistic quantum molecular dynamics (UrQMD) model, the effect of initial density fluctuations on cumulants of the net-proton multiplicity distribution in Au + Au Collisions at s N N = 7.7 GeV was investigated by varying the minimum distance d min between two nucleons in the initialization. It was found that the initial density fluctuations increased with the decrease of d min from 1.6 fm to 1.0 fm, and the influence of d min on the magnitude of the net-proton number fluctuation in a narrow pseudorapidity window ( Δ η ≤ 4) was negligible even if it indeed affected the density evolution during the collision. At a broad pseudorapidity window ( Δ η ≥ 4), the cumulant ratios were enlarged when the initial density fluctuations were increased with the smaller value of d min , and this enhancement was comparable to that observed in the presence of the nuclear mean-field potential. Moreover, the enhanced cumulants were more evident in collisions with a larger impact parameter. The present work demonstrates that the fingerprint of the initial density fluctuations on the cumulants in a broad pseudorapidity window is clearly visible, while it is not obvious as the pseudorapidity window becomes narrow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

Initial fluctuation is one of the ingredients that washes fingerprints of the nuclear symmetry energy on observables in heavy-ion collisions. By artificially using the same initial nuclei in all collision events, the effect of the initial fluctuation on isospin-sensitive observables, e.g., the yield ratio of free neutrons with respect to protons N n / N p , 3 H/ 3 He yield ratio, the yield ratio between charged pions π − / π + , and the elliptic flow ratio or difference between free neutrons and protons v 2 n / v 2 p ( v 2 n - v 2 p ), are studied within the ultrarelativistic quantum molecular dynamics (UrQMD) model. In practice, Au + Au collisions with impact parameter b = 5 fm and beam energy E lab = 400 MeV/nucleon are calculated. It is found that the effect of the initialization on the yields of free protons and neutrons is small, while for the yield of pions, the directed and elliptic flows are found to be apparently influenced by the choice of initialization because of the strong memory effects. Regarding the isospin-sensitive observables, the effect of the initialization on N n / N p and 3 H/ 3 He is negligible, while π − / π + and v 2 n / v 2 p ( v 2 n - v 2 p ) display a distinct difference among different initializations. The fingerprints of symmetry energy on π − / π + and v 2 n / v 2 p can be either enhanced or reduced when different initializations are utilized. [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]