Isoscaling in Statistical Sequential Decay Model

A sequential decay model is used to study isoscaling, i.e. the factorization of the isotope ratios from sources of different isospins and sizes over a broad range of excitation energies, into fugacity terms of proton and neutron number, R21（N, Z） = Y2（ N, Z）/Y1（ N, Z） = Cexp（αN -βZ）. It is found that the isoscaling parameters α and β have a strong dependence on the isospin difference of equilibrated source and excitation energy, no significant influence of the source size on α andβ has been observed. It is found that α and β decrease with the excitation energy and are linear functions of 1/T and △（Z/A）2 or△（N/A）2 of the sources. Symmetry energy coefticient Gsym is constrained from the relationship of a and source △（Z/A）2, /3 and source △（N/A）2.     

Probing Balance Energy Using Momentum- and Isospin-Dependent Potential

Using the momentum- and isospin-dependent Boltmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck （BUU） model, we investigate the transverse flow and balance energy in two isotopic colliding systems ^48Ca＋^58Fe and ^48Cr＋^58Ni by adopting different symmetry potentials. By comparing the results between the two colliding systems, we find that the difference between the balance energies of two isotopic systems can be considered as a sensitive probe to the density dependence of symmetry energy.     

Modified Woods-Saxon Potential for Heavy-Ion Fusion Reaction

A modified Woods-Saxon （MWS） potential is proposed for describing nucleus-nucleus interaction based on the Skyrme energy-density functional approach. Fusion barriers for a large number of fusion reactions from light to heavy systems can be described well with this potential. The suitable incident energies for fusion reactions leading to superheavy nuclei are also explored. It seems to us that the MWS potential is useful for selecting the suitable incident energies for fusion reactions for producing super-heavy nuclei.     

Impact Parameter Dependence of the Double Neutron/Proton Ratio of Nucleon Emissions in Isotopic Reaction Systems

Within the transport model IBUU04, we investigate the double neutron/proton ratio of free nucleons taken from two reaction systems using two Sn isotopes at a beam energy of 50 MeV/nucleon and with impact parameters 2fm, 4fm and 8fm, respectively. It is found that the double neutron/proton ratio from peripheral collisions is more sensitive to the density dependence of the symmetry energy than those from mid-central and central collisions.     

Dependence of Isoscaling Parameters on Nucleon-Nucleon Cross Section and Momentum-Dependent Interaction

Inltuences of the isospin dependence of the in-medium nucleon-nucleon cross section and the momentum-dependent interaction （MDI） on the isotope scaling are investigated by using the isospin-dependent quantum molecular dynamics model （IQMD）. The results show that both the isospin dependence of the in-medium nucleon-nucleon cross section and the momentum-dependent interaction affect the isoscaling parameters appreciably and indepen- dently. The inltuence caused by the isospin dependence of two-body collision is relatively larger than that from the MDI in the mean tield. Aiming at exploring the implication of isoscaling behaviour, which the statistical equilibrium in the reaction is reached, the statistical properties in the mass distribution and the kinetic energy distribution of the fragments simulated by IQMD are presented.     

Double neutron/proton ratio of nucleon emissions in isotopic reaction systems as a robust probe of nuclear symmetry energy

The double neutron/proton ratio of nucleon emissions taken from two reaction systems using four isotopes of the same element, namely, the neutron/proton ratio in the neutron-rich system over that in the more symmetric system, has the advantage of reducing systematically the influence of the Coulomb force and the normally poor efficiencies of detecting low energy neutrons. The double ratio thus suffers less systematic errors. Within the IBUU04 transport model the double neutron/proton ratio is shown to have about the same sensitivity to the density dependence of nuclear symmetry energy as the single neutron/proton ratio in the neutron-rich system involved. The double neutron/proton ratio is therefore more useful for further constraining the symmetry energy of neutron-rich matter.     

Isospin Effects of Threshold Energy of Radial Flow in Heavy Ion Collisions

The threshold energies of radial flow in reactions of ^40 Ca-^40Ca and ^48Ca＋ ^48Ca in central collisions are investigated within an isospin dependent quantum molecular dynamics model by using three different forms of symmetry energy. It is found that the neutron-rich system has smaller threshold energy of radial flow and this quantity depends on the form of symmetry potential. It is indicated that the threshold energy of radial flow can provide a new method to determine the symmetry energy of asymmetric nuclear matter.     

The Average Lifetime of Giant Composite Systems Formed in Strongly Damped Collisions

The dynamic, adiabatic and diabat ic entrance potentials in strongly damped reactions of ^238 U＋^238 U, ^232 Th ＋ ^250Cf are calculated and compared. The feature of the dynamical potential implies that it is possible for the composite systems to stick together for a period of time. By means of the improved quantum molecular dynamics model the time evolution of the density and charge distributions of giant composite systems and their fragments for reactions ^238U＋^238U, ^232Th＋^250Cf are investigated, from which the lifetimes of giant composite systems at different energies are obtained. The longest average lifetime of ^238U＋^238U is found when the incident energy is about Ec.m =1080 MeW, which is about 1200 fm/c.     

Possible Mechanisms of Ternary Fission in the 197Au+197Au System at 15 A MeV

Ternary fission in ^197Au＋^197Au collisions at 15 A MeV is investigated by using the improved quantum molecular dynamical （ImQMD） model. The experimental mass distributions for each of the three fragments are reproduced for the first time without any freely adjusting parameters. The mechanisms of ternary fission in central and semicentral collisions are dynamically studied. In direct prolate ternary fission, two necks are found to be formed almost simultaneously and rupture sequentially in a very short time interval. Direct oblate ternary fission is a very rare fission event, in which three necks are formed and rupture simultaneously, forming three equally sized fragments along space-symmetric directions in the reaction plane. In sequential ternary fission a binary division is followed by another binary fission event after hundreds of fm/c.     

Entrance-Channel Dependence of Isospin Effects on Double n/p Ratio in HIC

Within the hadronic transport model IBUU04, we investigate the effect of density-dependent symmetry energy on double neutron/proton (n/p) ratio of free nucleons in heavy ion collisions by taking four isotopic Sn+Sn reaction systems. Especially the entrance-channel asymmetry and impact-parameter dependence of the effect of symmetry energy are discussed. It is found that in both central and semi-central collisions the sensitivity of the double n/p ratio to the density-dependent symmetry energy is more pronounced in neutron-richer systems. Our results also indicate clearly that the effect of symmetry energy is stronger in central collisions than that in semi-central collisions.     

Entrance channel mass asymmetry dependence of compound nucleus formation

The fusion reactions ⁴⁸Ca + ¹⁵⁴Sm and ¹⁶O + ¹⁸⁶W leading to the same compound nucleus ²⁰²Pb are studied within the framework of an improved isospin dependent quantum molecular dynamics model. The entrance channel mass asymmetry dependence of compound nucleus formation is found by analyzing the shell correction energies, Coulomb barriers and fusion cross sections. The calculated fusion cross sections agree quantitatively with the experimental data. We conclude that the compound nucleus formation is favorable for the system with larger mass asymmetry.     

Shell Correction and Pairing Energies in the Dinuclear System Model

We investigate the dependences of the potential energy surfaces （PES） and the fusion probabilities for some cold fusion reactions leading to super-heavy elements on the nuclear shell effect and pairing energy. It is found that the shell effect plays an important role in the fusion of the super-heavy element while pairing energy＇s contribution is insignificant. The fusion probabilities and evaporation residue cross sections as functions of the Ge-isotope projectile bombarding ^208Pb are also investigated. It is found that evaporation residue cross sections do not always increase with the increasing neutron number of Ge-isotope.     

Angular momentum population in fragmentation reactions

Using a relativistic transport model followed by a statistical sequential binary emission model, the population of metastable high-spin isomeric states are studied in relativistic projectile fragmentation reactions. The initial angular momentum distribution are generated from hole excitations. We find that the angular momentum distribution of the excited prefragments are considerably broadened due to light particle evaporation. The model reproduces the experimentally measured population of relatively low-lying states and underpredicts states with high angular momentum I?17?$I?17?$. We propose that coupling the spin of the excited and hole states in the prefragment will give a better understanding of the data.     

Nuclear Potential and Fusion Cross Sections for Synthesizing Super-Heavy Elements in Di-nuclear Systems

A double foMing method with simplified Skyrme-type nucleon nucleon interaction is used to calculate the nuclear interaction potential between two nuclei. The calculation is performed in tip-to-tip orientation of the two nuclei if they are deformed. Based on this method, the potential energy surfaces~ the fusion probabilities and the evaporation residue cross sections for some cold fusion reactions leading to super-heavy elements within di-nuclear system model are evaluated. It is indicated that after the improvement, the exponential decreasing systematics of the fusion probability with increasing charge number of projectile on the Pb based target become better and the evaporation residue cross sections are in better agreement with the experimental data.     

The influence of Isospin Dependence of In-Medium NN Cross Sections on the Ratio of Emitted Neutrons to Protons in HICs

The influence of isospin dependence of in-medium nucleon-nucleon cross sections on the nip ratios for emitted nucleons in reactions 96Zr-j-96Zr and 96Ru-j-96RH at Eb z 400 AMeV is investigated by means of an improved quantum molecular dynamics model. Our results show that the high energy part of the spectra of the n//p ratios for emitted nucleons is sensitive to the isospin dependence of in-medium nucleon-nucleon cross sections for neutron-rich reaction systems. Therefore, we propose that the nip ratio of emitted high energy nucleons in a very neutron-rich reaction system at several hundreds of AMeV can be taken as sensitive observables to constrain the isospindependence of in-medium nucleon-nucleon cross sections.     

Optical Potential Parameters of Weakly Bound Nuclear System 17F+13C

Elastic scattering angular distributions of the 14^N＋16^O system and the angular distributions of transfer reaction 16^O（14^N,13^C）17^F at ELab=76.2 MeV and 57 MeV have been measured and calculated by means of the exact finiterange distorted-wave Born approximation with the PTOLEMY code. The optical potential parameters for the weakly bound nuclear system 17^F＋13^C have been deduced and applied to analyse the elastic scattering angular distributions of the similar systems 17^F＋12^C and 17^F＋14^N which are taken from literature. The result shows that the transfer reaction with stable projectile and target combination can be used as an alternative method to extract the optical potential parameters for the weakly bound nuclear system.     

Systematic Study on System Size Dependence of Global Stopping: Role of Momentum-Dependent Interactions and Symmetry Energy

Using the isospin-dependent quantum molecular dynamical model, we systematically study the role of symme- try energy with and without momentum-dependent interactions on the global nuclear stopping. We simulate the reactions by varying the total mass of the system from 80 to 394 at different beam energies from 30 to 1000 Me V/nucleon over central and semi-central geometries. The nuclear stopping is found to be sensitive towards the momentum-dependent interactions and symmetry energy at low incident energies. The momentum-dependent interactions are found to weaken the finite size effects in nuclear stopping.     

Break-up stage restoration in multifragmentation reactions

In the case of Xe + Sn at 32MeV/nucleon multifragmentation reaction break-up fragments are built up from the experimentally detected ones using evaluations of light-particle evaporation multiplicities which thus settle fragment internal excitation. Freeze-out characteristics are extracted from experimental kinetic energy spectra under the assumption of full decoupling between fragment formation and energy dissipated in different degrees of freedom. The thermal kinetic energy is determined uniquely while for the freeze-out volume - collective energy a multiple solution is obtained. The coherence between the solutions of the break-up restoration algorithm and the predictions of a multifragmentation model with identical definition of primary fragments is regarded as a way to select the true value. The broad kinetic energy spectrum of ³He is consistent with the break-up genesis of this isotope.     

Challenges in nuclear dynamics and thermodynamics

The purpose and contents of this topical issue, Dynamics and Thermodynamics with Nuclear Degrees of Freedom, which grew out of a series of workshops in the years 2004 and 2005, are introduced. The central topics are the nuclear density functional, nuclear multi-fragmentation, and nuclear phase transitions.