Isospin dependence of nucleon (PF2)-P-3 superfluidity in asymmetric nuclear matter

We have investigated the isospin dependence of the neutron and proton (PF2)-P-3 superfluidity in isospin-asymmetric nuclear matter within the framework of the Brueckner-Hartree-Fock approach and the BCS theory. We show that the (PF2)-P-3 neutron and proton pairing gaps depend sensitively on isospin asymmetry of asymmetric nuclear matter. As the isospin asymmetry increases, the neutron (PF2)-P-3 superfluidity becomes stronger and the peak value of the neutron (PF2)-P-3 pairing gap increases rapidly. The isospin dependence of the proton (PF2)-P-3 superfluidity is shown to be opposite to the neutron one. The proton (PF2)-P-3 superfluidity becomes weaker at a higher asymmetry and it even vanishes at high enough asymmetries. At high asymmetries, the neutron (PF2)-P-3 superfluidity turns out to be much stronger than the proton one, implying that the neutron (PF2)-P-3 superfluidity is dominated in the highly asymmetric dense interior of neutron stars.

Hot Nuclear Matter Equation of State and Finite Temperature Kaon Condensation

We perform a systematic calculation of the equation of state of asymmetric nuclear matter at finite temperature within the framework of the Brueckner-Hartree-Fock approach with a microscopic three-body force. When applying it to the study of hotka on condensed matter, we find that the thermal effect is more profound in comparison with normal matter, in particular around the threshold density. Also, the increase of temperature makes the equation of state slightly stiffer through suppression of kaon condensation.

System size and beam energy effects on probing the high-density behavior of nuclear symmetry energy with pion ratio

Based on the isospin-and momentum-dependent hadronic transport model IBUU04, we have investigated the pi(-)/pi(+) ratio in the following three reactions: Ca-48+Ca-48, Sn-124 +Sn-124 and Au-197+Au-197 with nearly the same isospin asymmetry but different masses, at the bombarding energies from 0.25 to 0.6 A GeV. It is shown that the sensitivity of probing the E-sym (rho) with pi(-)/pi(+) increases with increasing the system size or decreasing the beam energy, showing a correlation to the degree of isospin fractionation. Therefore, with a given isospin asymmetry, heavier system at energies near the pion threshold is preferential to study the behavior Of nuclear symmetry energy at supra-saturation densities.

Effects of elastic and inelastic NN scattering cross sections on pi(-)/pi(+) ratios in heavy-ion collisions at intermediate energies

Based on the isospin-dependent Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck transport model and the scaling model according to nucleon effective mass, effects of elastic and inelastic NN scattering cross sections on pi(-)/pi(+) in the neutron-rich reaction of Ca-48 + Ca-48 at a beam energy of 400 MeV/nucleon are studied. It is found that cross-section effects of both NN elastic and inelastic scatterings affect Delta(1232), pi(-) and pi(+) production, as well as the value of pi(-)/pi(+).

Dynamics of strangeness production in heavy-ion collisions near threshold energies

Within the framework of the improved isospin-dependent quantum molecular dynamics (ImIQMD) model, the dynamics of strangeness (K-0,K-+, Lambda, and Sigma(-,0,+)) production in heavy-ion collisions near threshold energies is investigated systematically, with the strange particles considered to be produced mainly by inelastic collisions of baryon-baryon and pion-baryon. Collisions in the region of suprasaturation densities of the dense baryonic matter formed in heavy-ion collisions dominate the yields of strangeness production. Total multiplicities as functions of incident energies and collision centralities are calculated with the Skyrme parameter SLy6. The excitation function of strangeness production is analyzed and also compared with the KaoS data for K+ production in the reactions C-12 + C-12 and Au-197 + Au-197.

Can the nuclear symmetry potential at supra-saturation densities be negative?

In the framework of an isospin-dependent Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck (IBUU) transport model, for the central Au-197 + Au-197 reaction at an incident beam energy of 400 MeV/nucleon, the effect of nuclear symmetry potential at supra-saturation densities on the preequilibrium clusters emission is studied. It is found that for the positive symmetry potential at supra-saturation densities the neutron-to-proton ratio of lighter clusters with mass number A less than or similar to 3 [(n/p)(A less than or similar to 3)] is larger than that of the heavier clusters with mass number A > 3 [(n/p)(A>3)], whereas for the negative symmetry potential at supra-saturation densities the (n/p)(A less than or similar to 3) is smaller than the (n/p)(A>3). This may be considered as a probe of the negative symmetry potential at supra-saturation densities.

Measurement of the inelastic branch of the stellar O-14(alpha,p)F-17 reaction occurring in the explosive burning in Novae and X-ray busters

The inelastic component of the key astrophysical resonance (1(-), E-x=6.15 MeV) in the O-14(alpha,p)F-17 reaction has been studied by using the resonant scattering of F-17+p. The experiment was done at REX-ISOLDE CERN with the Miniball setup. The thick target method in inverse kinematics was utilized in the present experiment where a 44.2 MeV F-17 beam bombarded a similar to 40 mu m thick (CH2)(n) target. The inelastic scattering protons in coincidence with the de-excited 495 keV gamma rays have been clearly seen and they are from the inelastic branch to the first excited state in F-17 following decay of the 1(-) resonance in Ne-18. Some preliminary results are reported.

中能重离子碰撞中的同位旋效应及非对称核物质的状态方程研究

本论文介绍了放射性核束物理研究的现状以及当前常用的几种同位旋相关的重离子微观输运理论，系统描述了非对称核物质的状态方程、中能重离子碰撞中的同位旋效应以及中子星的性质。基于 Hartree-Fock 理论和扩展的 Skyrme 相互作用，在核物质近似下得到了一个非相对论性的密度、温度和同位旋相关的核物质状态方程 (IEOS)。系统研究了核物质状态方程的同位旋效应。讨论了核子的平均场、核物质的不可压缩系数、核子的有效质量以及核物质临界温度的同位旋相关性，并且给出了核物质饱笔点处的饱和密度、不可压缩系数以及单核子结合能的抛物线规律。同时，探讨了对称能的温度和密度相关性，给出了零温度时对称能的解析表达式，并提出了对称能温度相关性的抛物线规律，发现对称能随着温度的升高而减小。另外，基于以上的同位旋相关的核物质状态方程，对 ALADIN's Caloric Curve 给出了一种静态解释。在传统量子分子动力学 (QMD) 模型的基础上，通过在相互作用平均场、两体碰撞、泡利阻塞、初始化以及碎片构造过程中适当地考虑同位旋自由度，得到了一个同位旋相关的 QMD 模型 (IQMD 模型)。利用IQMD模型系统研究了中能重离子碰撞中的同位旋效应。例如，中能重离子碰撞中同位旋自由度的弛豫、重离子碰撞中核子前平衡发射的同位旋效应、重离子碰撞中的集体流（包括直接流、转动流、挤出流和径向流）及其同位旋相关性、原子核多重碎裂的同位旋效应及其消失、重离子碰撞中的化学不稳定性以及中能重离子碰撞中如何选取事件的碰撞参数及其同位旋效应等。同样，在传统的 Boltzmann-Langevin 方程中适当地考虑同位旋自由度，得到了同位旋相关的Boltzmann-Langevin方程 (IBLE)，利用IBLE研究了 ~(19)Na的产生截面。另外，利用IQMD模型探讨了多重碎裂的"neck" 机制以及重离子碰撞中局域势的有限程效应。基于前面给出的非相对论的核物质状态方程，系统研究了中子星的性质，如中子星的化学组份、质量、结合能、半径、密度剖面、转动惯量及表面红移等。结果表明，使用一些常用的 Skyrme 势参数能够给出与天文学观测相一致的结果。

Systematic study of the pi(-)/pi(+) ratio in heavy-ion collisions with the same neutron/proton ratio but different masses

A systematic study of the pi(-)/pi(+) ratio in heavy-ion collisions with the same neutron/proton ratio but different masses can help single out effects of the nuclear mean field on pion production. Based on simulations using the IBUU04 transport model, it is found that the pi(-)/pi(+) ratio in head-on collisions of Ca-48 + Ca-48, Sn-124 + Sn-124, and Au-197 + Au-197 at beam energies from 0.25 to 0.6 GeV/nucleon increases with increasing the system size or decreasing the beam energies. A comprehensive analysis of the dynamical isospin fractionation and the pi(-)/pi(+) ratio as well as their time evolution and spatial distributions demonstrates clearly that the pi(-)/pi(+) ratio is an effective probe of the high-density behavior of the nuclear symmetry energy.

Neutron-proton bremsstrahlung from intermediate energy heavy-ion reactions as a probe of the nuclear symmetry energy?

Hard photons from neutron-proton bremsstrahlung in intermediate energy heavy-ion reactions are examined as a potential probe of the nuclear symmetry energy within a transport model. Effects of the symmetry energy on the yields and spectra of hard photons are found to be generally smaller than those due to the currently existing uncertainties of both the in-medium nucleon-nucleon cross sections and the photon production probability in the elementary process pn -> pn gamma. Very interestingly, nevertheless, the ratio of hard photon spectra R-1/2(gamma) from two reactions using isotopes of the same element is not only approximately independent of these uncertainties but also quite sensitive to the symmetry energy. For the head-on reactions of Sn-132 + Sn-124 and Sn-112 + Sn-112 at E-beam/A = 50 MeV, for example, the R-1/2(gamma) displays a rise up to 15% when the symmetry energy is reduced by about 20% at rho = 1.3 rho(0) which is the maximum density reached in these reactions. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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.

Recent Progress in Constraining the Equation of State of Dense Neutron-Rich Nuclear Matter with Heavy-Ion Reactions

The nuclear symmetry energy E-sym(rho) is the most uncertain part of the Equation of State (EOS) of dense neutron-rich nuclear matter. In this talk, we discuss the underlying physics responsible for the uncertain E-sym(rho) especially at supra-saturation densities, the circumstantial evidence for a super-soft E-sym(rho) from analyzing pi(-)/pi(+) ratio in relativistic heavy-ion collisions and its impacts on astrophysics and cosmology.

Neutron source from thin foil confined by two laser pulses

Neutron production from a thin deuterium-tritium (D-T) foil irradiated by two intense femtosecond laser pulses from opposite sides with zero phase difference is studied analytically and numerically. For the interaction of a laser pulse of amplitude a = 7, focal area 100 mu m(2) and areal density 4.4 x 10(18) cm(-2) with a D-T plasma foil, about 1.17 x 10(21) neutron s(-1) can be obtained, much more than from other methods. The profiles of the ion and electron densities are also calculated.

Effect of laser spot size on fusion neutron yield in laser-deuterium cluster interactions

The effect of the laser spot size on the neutron yield of table-top nuclear fusion from explosions of a femtosecond intense laser pulse heated deuterium clusters is investigated by using a simplified model, in which the cluster size distribution and the energy attenuation of the laser as it propagates through the cluster jet are taken into account. It has been found that there exists a proper laser spot size for the maximum fusion neutron yield for a given laser pulse and a specific deuterium gas cluster jet. The proper spot size, which is dependent on the laser parameters and the cluster jet parameters, has been calculated and compared with the available experimental data. A reasonable agreement between the calculated results and the published experimental results is found.