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Mapping out the equation of state of nuclear matter is a long-standing problem in nuclear physics. Recent emphasis is on the density dependence of the symmetry energy, with experiments needing dedicated symmetryenergy observables. Towards the latter goal, we employ the Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck (pBUU) transport model to simulate pion production in a heavy ion collision. We find that the net pion yield tests the momentum dependence of the nuclear mean field. In exploring the sensitivity of pion observables to the symmetry energy at higher than normal densities, we find that our calculations of pion ratios contradict, at some level, predictions from both the isospin-dependent BUU (IBUU) and improved isospin-dependent quantum molecular dynamics models. We propose to employ the pion ratio in the high-energy tail of spectra in future experiments to distinguish between different variants of high-density symmetry energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We construct nucleonic microscopic optical potentials by combining the Green's function approach with the coupled-cluster method for 40Ca and 48Ca. For the computation of the ground states of 40Ca and 48Ca, we use the coupled-cluster method in the singles-and-doubles approximation, while for the A = ±1 nuclei we use particle-attached and particle-removed equation-of-motion method truncated at two-particle-one-hole and one-particle-two-hole excitations, respectively. Our calculations are based on the chiral nucleon-nucleon and three-nucleon interaction NNLOsat, which reproduces the charge radii of 40Ca and 48Ca, and the chiral nucleon-nucleon interaction NNLOopt. In all cases considered here, we observe that the overall form of the neutron scattering cross section is reproduced for both interactions, but the imaginary part of the potential, which reflects the loss of flux in the elastic channel, is negligible. The latter points to neglected many-body correlations that would appear beyond the coupled-cluster truncation level considered in this work. We show that, by artificially increasing the parameter η in the Green's function, practical results can be further improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The distribution of protons and neutrons in the matter created in heavy-ion collisions is one of the main points of interest for the collision physics, especially at supranormal densities. These distributions are the basis for predictions of the density dependence of the symmetry energy and the density range that can be achieved in a given colliding system. We report results of the first systematic simulation of proton and neutron density distributions in central heavy-ion collisions within the beam energy range of Ebeam≤800MeV/nucl. The symmetric 40Ca+40Ca, 48Ca+48Ca, 100Sn+100Sn, and 120Sn+120Sn and asymmetric 40Ca+48Ca and 100Sn+120Sn systems were chosen for the simulations. Purpose: We simulate development of proton and neutron densities and asymmetries as a function of initial state, beam energy, and system size in the selected collisions in order to guide further experiments pursuing the density dependence of the symmetry energy. Methods: The Boltzmann-Uhlenbeck-Uehling (pBUU) transport model with four empirical models for the density dependence of the symmetry energy was employed. Results of simulations using pure Vlasov dynamics were added for completeness. In addition, the time-dependent Hartree-Fock (TDHF) model, with the SV-bas Skyrme interaction, was used to model the heavy-ion collisions at Ebeam≤40MeV/nucl. Maximum proton and neutron densities ρpmax and ρnmax, reached in the course of a collision, were determined from the time evolution of ρp and ρn. Results: The highest total densities predicted at Ebeam=800MeV/nucl. were of the order of ∼2.5ρ0 (ρ0=0.16fm-3) for both Sn and Ca systems. They were found to be only weakly dependent on the initial conditions, beam energy, system size, and a model of the symmetry energy. The proton-neutron asymmetry δ=(ρnmax-ρpmax)/(ρnmax+ρpmax) at maximum density does depend, though, on these parameters. The highest value of δ found in all systems and at all investigated beam energies was ~0.17. Conclusions: We find that the initial state, beam energy, system size, and a symmetry energy model affect very little the maximum proton and neutron densities, but have a subtle impact on the proton-neutron asymmetry. Most importantly, the variations in the proton-neutron asymmetry at maximum densities are related at most at 50% level to the details in the symmetry energy at supranormal density. The reminder is due to the details in the symmetry energy at subnormal densities and proton and neutron distributions in the initial state. This result brings to the forefront the need for a proper initialization of the nuclei in the simulation, but also brings up the question of microscopy, such as shell effects, that affect initial proton and neutron densities, but cannot be consistently incorporated into semiclassical transport models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We develop a method to construct a microscopic optical potential from chiral interactions for nucleon-nucleus scattering. The optical potential is constructed by combining the Green's function approach with the coupled-cluster method. To deal with the poles of the Green's function along the real energy axis we employ a Berggren basis in the complex energy plane combined with the Lanczos method. Using this approach, we perform a proof-of-principle calculation of the optical potential for the elastic neutron scattering on 16O. For the computation of the ground state of 16O, we use the coupled-cluster method in the singles-and-doubles approximation, while for the A±1 nuclei we use particle-attached/removed equation-of-motion method truncated at two-particle-one-hole and one-particle-two-hole excitations, respectively. We verify the convergence of the optical potential and scattering phase shifts with respect to the model-space size and the number of discretized complex continuum states. We also investigate the absorptive component of the optical potential (which reflects the opening of inelastic channels) by computing its imaginary volume integral and find an almost negligible absorptive component at low energies. To shed light on this result, we computed excited states of 16O using the equation-of-motion coupled-cluster method with singles-and-doubles excitations and we found no low-lying excited states below 10 MeV. Furthermore, most excited states have a dominant two-particle-two-hole component, making higher-order particle-hole excitations necessary to achieve a precise description of these core-excited states. We conclude that the reduced absorption at low energies can be attributed to the lack of correlations coming from the low-order cluster truncation in the employed coupled-cluster method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore the influence of the in-medium nucleon-nucleon cross section, symmetry potential, and impact parameter on isospin sensitive observables in intermediate-energy heavy-ion collisions with the ImQMD05 code, a modified version of the quantum molecular dynamics model. At incident velocities above the Fermi velocity, we find that the density dependence of the symmetry potential plays a more important role on the double neutron-to-proton ratio DR(n/p) and the isospin transport ratio Rt than the in-medium nucleon-nucleon cross sections, provided that the latter are constrained to a fixed total NN collision rate. We also explore both DR(n/p) and Ri, as a function of the impact parameter. Since the copious production of intermediate mass fragments is a distinguishing feature of intermediate-energy heavy-ion collisions, we examine the isospin transport ratios constructed from different groups of fragments. We find that the values of the isospin transport ratios for projectile rapidity fragments with Z ≥ 20 are greater than those constructed from the entire projectile rapidity source. We believe experimental investigations of this phenomenon can be performed. These may provide significant tests of fragmentation time scales predicted by ImQMD calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The symmetry energy contribution to the nuclear equation of state impacts various phenomena in nuclear astrophysics, nuclear structure, and nuclear reactions. Its determination is a key objective of contemporary nuclear physics, with consequences for the understanding of dense matter within neutron stars. We examine the results of laboratory experiments that have provided initial constraints on the nuclear symmetry energy and on its density dependence at and somewhat below normal nuclear matter density. Even though some of these constraints have been derived from properties of nuclei while others have been derived from the nuclear response to electroweak and hadronic probes, within experimental uncertainties-they are consistent with each other. We also examine the most frequently used theoretical models that predict the symmetry energy and its slope parameter. By comparing existing constraints on the symmetry pressure to theories, we demonstrate how contributions of three-body forces, which are essential ingredients in neutron matter models, can be determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The angular dependence of proton-proton correlation functions is studied in central 40Ca+ 40Ca and 48Ca+ 48Ca nuclear reactions at E/A = 80 MeV. Measurements were performed with the High Resolution Array (HiRA) complemented by the 4&ppr; Array at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. A striking angular dependence in the laboratory frame is found within proton-proton correlation functions for both systems that greatly exceeds the measured and expected isospin dependent difference between the neutron-rich and neutron-deficient systems. Sources measured at backward angles reflect the participant zone of the reaction, while much larger sources observed at forward angles reflect the expanding, fragmenting, and evaporating projectile remnants. The decrease of the size of the source with increasing momentum is observed at backward angles while a weaker trend in the opposite direction is observed at forward angles. The results are compared to the theoretical calculations using the Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck (BUU) transport model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The symmetry energy in the nuclear equation of state affects many aspects of nuclear astrophysics, nuclear structure, nuclear reactions. Recent constraints from heavy-ion collisions, including isospin diffusion observables, have started to put constraints on the symmetry energy below nuclear saturation density, but these constraints depend on the employed transport model and input physics other than the symmetry energy. To understand these dependencies, we study the influence of the symmetry energy, isoscalar mean-field compressibility and momentum dependence, in-medium nucleon-nucleon cross sections, light cluster production on isospin diffusion within the pBUU transport code. In addition to the symmetry energy, several uncertain issues strongly affect isospin diffusion, most notably the cross sections and cluster production. In addition, there is a difference in the calculated isospin transport ratios, depending on whether they are computed using the isospin asymmetry either of the residue or of all forward-moving fragments. Measurements that compare the isospin transport ratios of these two quantities would help place constraints on the input physics, such as the density dependence of the symmetry energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pion energy spectra are presented for central collisions of neutron-rich 132Sn + 124Sn and neutron-deficient 108Sn + 112Sn systems using simulations with the Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck transport model. These calculations, which incorporate isospin-dependent mean-field potentials for relevant baryons and mesons, display a sensitivity to the pion spectra that could allow significant constraints on the density dependence of the symmetry energy and its mean-field potential at suprasaturation densities. The predicted sensitivity increases with the isospin asymmetry of the total system and decreases with incident energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collisions involving 112Sn and 124Sn nuclei have been simulated with the improved quantum molecular dynamics transport model. The results of the calculations reproduce isospin diffusion data from two different observables and the ratios of neutron and proton spectra. By comparing these data to calculations performed over a range of symmetry energies at saturation density and different representations of the density dependence of the symmetry energy, constraints on the density dependence of the symmetry energy at subnormal density are obtained. The results from the present work are compared to constraints put forward in other recent analyses.

The shear viscosity to entropy ratio (eta/s) is estimated for the hot and dense QCD matter created in Au+Au collisions at BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (square root[s_{NN}]=200 GeV). A very low value is found; eta/s approximately 0.1, which is close to the conjectured lower bound (1/4pi). It is argued that such a low value is indicative of thermodynamic trajectories for the decaying matter which lie close to the QCD critical end point.

Detailed studies of the azimuthal dependence of the mean fragment and flow energies in the Au+Au and Xe+CsI systems are reported as a function of incident energy and centrality. Comparisons between data and model calculations show that the flow energy values along different azimuthal directions could be viewed as snapshots of the fireball expansion with different exposure times. For the same number of participating nucleons more transversally elongated participant shapes from the heavier system produce less collective transverse energy. Good agreement with Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck calculations is obtained for a soft nuclear equation of state.

Using symmetric 112Sn+112Sn, 124Sn+124Sn collisions as references, we probe isospin diffusion in peripheral asymmetric 112Sn+124Sn, 124Sn+112Sn systems at an incident energy of E/A=50 MeV. Isoscaling analyses imply that the quasiprojectile and quasitarget in these collisions do not achieve isospin equilibrium, permitting an assessment of isospin transport rates. We find that comparisons between isospin sensitive experimental and theoretical observables, using suitably chosen scaled ratios, permit investigation of the density dependence of the asymmetry term of the nuclear equation of state.

Source images are extracted from two-particle correlations constructed from strange and nonstrange hadrons produced in 6A GeV Au+Au collisions. Very different source images result from pp vs p Lambda vs pi(-)pi(-) correlations. Scaling by transverse mass can describe the apparent source size ratio for p/pi(-) but not for Lambda/pi(-) or Lambda/p. These observations suggest important differences in the space-time emission histories for protons, pions, and neutral strange baryons produced in the same events.

We report a particle source imaging analysis based on two-pion correlations in high multiplicity Au+Au collisions at beam energies between 2A and 8A GeV. We apply the imaging technique introduced by Brown and Danielewicz, which allows a model-independent extraction of source functions with useful accuracy out to relative pion separations of about 20 fm. The extracted source functions have Gaussian shapes. Values of source functions at zero separation are almost constant across the energy range under study. Imaging results are found to be consistent with conventional source parameters obtained from a multidimensional Hanburg-Brown-Twiss analysis.

A novel state of matter has been hypothesized to exist during the early stage of relativistic heavy-ion collisions, with normal hadrons not appearing until several fm/c after the start of the reaction. To test this hypothesis, correlations between charges and their associated anticharges are evaluated with the use of balance functions. It is shown that late-stage hadronization is characterized by tightly correlated charge-anticharge pairs when measured as a function of relative rapidity.