Momentum--dependent nuclear mean fields and collective flow in heavy ion collisions

We use the Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck model to simulate the dynamical evolution of heavy ion collisions and to compare the effects of two parametrizations of the momentum--dependent nuclear mean field that have identical properties in cold nuclear matter. We compare with recent data on nuclear flow, as characterized by transverse momentum distributions and flow ($F$) variables for symmetric and asymmetric systems. We find that the precise functional dependence of the nuclear mean field on the particle momentum is important. With our approach, we also confirm that the difference between symmetric and asymmetric systems can be used to pin down the density and momentum dependence of the nuclear self consistent one--body potential, independently. All the data can be reproduced very well with a momentum--dependent interaction with compressibility K = 210 MeV.Comment: 15 pages in ReVTeX 3.0; 12 postscript figures uuencoded; McGill/94-1

Directed flow in Au+Au, Xe+CsI and Ni+Ni collisions and the nuclear equation of state

We present new experimental data on directed flow in collisions of Au+Au, Xe+CsI and Ni+Ni at incident energies from 90 to 400A MeV. We study the centrality and system dependence of integral and differential directed flow for particles selected according to charge. All the features of the experimental data are compared with Isospin Quantum Molecular Dynamics (IQMD) model calculations in an attempt to extract information about the nuclear matter equation of state (EoS). We show that the combination of rapidity and transverse momentum analysis of directed flow allow to disentangle various parametrizations in the model. At 400A MeV, a soft EoS with momentum dependent interactions is best suited to explain the experimental data in Au+Au and Xe+CsI, but in case of Ni+Ni the model underpredicts flow for any EoS. At 90A MeV incident beam energy, none of the IQMD parametrizations studied here is able to consistently explain the experimental data.Comment: RevTeX, 20 pages, 30 eps figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. C. Data files available at http://www.gsi.de/~fopiwww/pub

Differential directed flow in Au+Au collisions

We present experimental data on directed flow in semi-central Au+Au collisions at incident energies from 90 to 400 A MeV. For the first time for this energy domain, the data are presented in a transverse momentum differential way. We study the first order Fourier coefficient v1 for different particle species and establish a gradual change of its patterns as a function of incident energy and for different regions in rapidity.Comment: 5 pages, Latex, 5 eps figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. C (Rapid Communications). Data files available at http://www-linux.gsi.de/~andronic/fopi/v1.htm

Multiplicity and bombarding energy dependence of the entropy in relativistic heavy-ion reactions

SIGLECopy held by FIZ Karlsruhe; available from UB/TIB Hannover / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman

Rapidity distributions of Ca+Ca, Nb+Nb, Ne+Au and Au+Au at bombarding energies from 250 to 2100 MeV/nucleon

We present experimental rapidity distributions dNch/dy over a wide range of bombarding energies and projectile and target masses. Target and projectile spectators are observed for peripheral collisions but not for the most central collisions. This behavior is found for all systems and bombarding energies investigated. Although detector inefficiencies tend to distort the experimental distributions, they are on a tolerable level and do not remove sensitivity to theoretical descriptions. PACS: 25.70.N

Transverse energy production in high energy nuclear collisions and the equation of state of nuclear matter

SIGLECopy held by FIZ Karlsruhe; available from UB/TIB Hannover / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman