Statistical fluctuations in dissipative heavy-ion collisions

We investigate statistical fluctuations in the relative motion of colliding heavy ions as well as in the nucleon transport. Approximate analytical expressions for the fluctuations in energy loss, scattering angle, and fragment charge number are derived from a Fokker-Planck equation and evaluated at the scission point using previously determined mean interaction times. In a detailed comparison with the data for¹³⁶Xe +²⁰⁹Bi and⁸⁶Kr +¹⁶⁶Er we can account for the observed multidifferential cross sections except at low energy loss where the calculated fluctuations in scattering angle are too small.