U.S.-Japan Cooperative Science: Collision Dynamics of Nuclei with High Isospin Asymmetry

Michigan State University, East Lansing MI

Investigators

Abstract

0124186 Tsang This award supports a two-year collaborative research project between Professor ManYee B Tsang at Michigan State University and Professor Akira Ono of Tohoku University in Japan. The researchers will undertake a study of collision dynamics of nuclei with high isospin asymmetry. The focus of this project is the theoretical interpretation of nuclear multifragmentation, a process that may provide insight into the liquid-gas phase transition of nuclear matter and the equation of the state of asymmetric nuclear matter. The first goal will be to study the role of symmetry energy in the production of isotopes in heavy ion collisions. The second goal will be to develop transport equations that accurately describe the isotopic yields and to compare the predictions of these equations to a wide variety of experimental data produced in central collisions. The third goal is to isolate experimental signals that are especially sensitive to the non-equilibrium aspects of the multifragment break up. Included in this latter effort will be the study of processes such as the neck fragmentation, for example, that are expected to be rather sensitive to the interplay between reaction dynamics and fragment formation. The project brings together the efforts of two laboratories that have complementary expertise and research capabilities. The Japanese scientists pioneered the development of the Antisymmetrized Molecular Dynamics (AMD) Model and the U.S. scientists have expertise in the development of Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck (BUU) transport equations. It is anticipated that the research will benefit the development of quantal reaction models. Through the exchange of ideas and technology, this project will broaden our base of basic knowledge and promote international understanding and cooperation. The project advances international human resources through the participation of a postdoc and a graduate student. The researchers plan to publish results of the research in scientific journals and report on the findings at scientific meetings.