Transient backbending behavior in the Ising model with fixed magnetization

The physical origin of the backbendings in the equations of state of finite but not necessarily small systems is studied in the Ising model with fixed magnetization (IMFM) by means of the topological properties of the observable distributions and the analysis of the largest cluster with increasing lattice size. Looking at the convexity anomalies of the IMFM thermodynamic potential, it is shown that the order of the transition at the thermodynamic limit can be recognized in finite systems independently of the lattice size. General statistical mechanics arguments and analytical calculations suggest that the backbending in the caloric curve is a transient behaviour which should not converge to a plateau in the thermodynamic limit, while the first order transition is signalled by a discontinuity in other observables.Comment: 24 pages, 11 figure

Caloric Curves for small systems in the Nuclear Lattice Gas Model

For pedagogical reasons we compute the caloric curve for 11 particles in a $3^3$ lattice. Monte-Carlo simulation can be avoided and exact results are obtained. There is no back-bending in the caloric curve and negative specific heat does not appear. We point out that the introduction of kinetic energy in the nuclear Lattice Gas Model modifies the results of the standard Lattice Gas Model in a profound way.Comment: 12 pages, Revtex, including 4 postscript figure

Order parameter fluctuations and thermodynamic phase transitions in finite spin systems and fragmenting nuclei

We show that in small and low density systems described by a lattice gas model with fixed number of particles the location of a thermodynamic phase transition can be detected by means of the distribution of the fluctuations related to an order parameter which is chosen to be the size of the largest fragment. We show the correlation between the size of the system and the observed order of the transition. We discuss the implications of this correlation on the analysis of experimental fragmentation data.Comment: 9 pages including 5 figures. Final version to appear in PL

Non equilibrium effects in fragmentation

We study, using molecular dynamics techniques, how boundary conditions affect the process of fragmentation of finite, highly excited, Lennard-Jones systems. We analyze the behavior of the caloric curves (CC), the associated thermal response functions (TRF) and cluster mass distributions for constrained and unconstrained hot drops. It is shown that the resulting CC's for the constrained case differ from the one in the unconstrained case, mainly in the presence of a ``vapor branch''. This branch is absent in the free expanding case even at high energies . This effect is traced to the role played by the collective expansion motion. On the other hand, we found that the recently proposed characteristic features of a first order phase transition taking place in a finite isolated system, i.e. abnormally large kinetic energy fluctuations and a negative branch in the TRF, are present for the constrained (dilute) as well the unconstrained case. The microscopic origin of this behavior is also analyzed.Comment: 21 pages, 11 figure

Noise sensitivity of sub- and supercritically bifurcating patterns with group velocities close to the convective-absolute instability

The influence of small additive noise on structure formation near a forwards and near an inverted bifurcation as described by a cubic and quintic Ginzburg Landau amplitude equation, respectively, is studied numerically for group velocities in the vicinity of the convective-absolute instability where the deterministic front dynamics would empty the system.Comment: 16 pages, 7 Postscript figure

Isospin Asymmetry in Nuclei and Neutron Stars

The roles of isospin asymmetry in nuclei and neutron stars are investigated using a range of potential and field-theoretical models of nucleonic matter. The parameters of these models are fixed by fitting the properties of homogeneous bulk matter and closed-shell nuclei. We discuss and unravel the causes of correlations among the neutron skin thickness in heavy nuclei, the pressure of beta-equilibrated matter at a density of 0.1 fm$^{-3}$, the derivative of the nuclear symmetry energy at the same density and the radii of moderate mass neutron stars. Constraints on the symmetry properties of nuclear matter from the binding energies of nuclei are examined. The extent to which forthcoming neutron skin measurements will further delimit the symmetry properties is investigated. The impact of symmetry energy constraints for the mass and moment of inertia contained within neutron star crusts and the threshold density for the nucleon direct Urca process, all of which are potentially measurable, is explored. We also comment on the minimum neutron star radius, assuming that only nucleonic matter exists within the star.Comment: 49 pages, 17 figures, Phys. Rep. (in press); made improvements to "RAPR" and corrected transition densitie

Single-neutron transfer from 11Be gs via the (p,d) reaction with a radioactive beam

The 11Be(p,d)10Be reaction has been performed in inverse kinematics with a radioactive 11Be beam of E/A = 35.3 MeV. Angular distributions for the 0+ ground state, the 2+, 3.37 MeV state and the multiplet of states around 6 MeV in 10Be were measured at angles up to 16 deg CM by detecting the 10Be in a dispersion-matched spectrometer and the coincident deuterons in a silicon array. Distorted wave and coupled-channels calculations have been performed to investigate the amount of 2+ core excitation in 11Be gs. The use of "realistic" 11Be wave functions is emphasised and bound state form factors have been obtained by solving the particle-vibration coupling equations. This calculation gives a dominant 2s component in the 11Be gs wave function with a 16% [2+ x 1d] core excitation admixture. Cross sections calculated with these form factors are in good agreement with the present data. The Separation Energy prescription for the bound state wave function also gives satisfactory fits to the data, but leads to a significantly larger [2 x 1d] component in 11Be gs.Comment: 39 pages, 12 figures. Accepted for publication in Nuclear Physics A. Added minor corrections made in proof to pages 26 and 3

Inverse kinematics proton scattering from the exotic nucleus 22^{22}O

NESTER PTHInternational audienceWe have measured for the first time elastic and inelastic proton scattering from the neutron rich nucleus 22O at 46.6 AMeV using the MUST array

High precision position measurements at high counting rates with drift chambers and multi-hit electronics

11 pages, 7 figure