Neutron Emission in Relativistic Nuclear Collisions

Abstract

Previously reported differences between the measured proton and neutron energy spectra for the reaction ~400 MeV/nucleon {sup 20}Ne + U {yields} p, n + x are discussed. A parameter-free cascade-coalescence model of heavy ion collisions is shown to account for these differences. Such measurerrents are shown to be sensitive to the degree of projectile-target equilibration in relativistic nuclear collisions