Phenomenological analysis of the double-pion production in nucleon-nucleon collisions up to 2.2 GeV

With an effective Lagrangian approach, we analyze several NN -> NN pi pi channels by including various resonances with mass up to 1.72 GeV. For the channels with the pion pair of isospin zero, we confirm the dominance of N*(1440) -> N sigma in the near-threshold region. At higher energies and for channels with the final pion pair of isospin one, we find large contributions from N*(1440) -> Delta pi, double-Delta, Delta(1600) -> N*(1440)pi, Delta(1600) -> Delta pi and Delta(1620) -> Delta pi. There are also sizable contributions from Delta -> Delta pi, Delta -> N pi, N -> Delta pi, and nucleon pole at energies close to the threshold. We give a good reproduction to the total cross sections up to beam energies of 2.2 GeV except for the pp -> pp pi(0)pi(0) channel at energies around 1.1 GeV and our results agree with the existing data of differential cross sections of pp -> pp pi(+)p pi(-), pp -> nn pi(+)pi(+), and pp -> pp pi(0)pi(0) which are measured at CELSIUS and COSY.

Role of the N*(1535) in eta ' production

We study the near-threshold eta ' production mechanism in nucleon-nucleon and pi N collisions under the assumption that subthreshold resonance N*(1535) is predominant. In an effective Lagrangian approach that gives a reasonable description to the pN -> pN eta and pi(-) p -> n eta reactions, we find that the excitation of N*(1535) resonance from the t- channel p exchange makes the dominate contribution to the pN -> pN eta ' process, and a value of 6.5 for the ratio of s(pp -> pp eta ') to sigma (pp -> pp eta ') is predicted. A strongcoupling strength ofN*(1535) to eta ' N (g(eta ' NN*)(2)/4 pi = 1.1) is extracted from a combined analysis to pp -> pp eta ' and pi N -> N eta ', and the possible implication to the intrinsic component of N*(1535) is explored.

Strangeness production process pp -> nK(+)Sigma(+) within resonance model

We explore production mechanism and final state interaction in the pp -> nK(+)Sigma(+) channel based on the inconsistent experimental data published respectively by COSY-11 and COSY-ANKE. The scattering parameter a > 0 for n Sigma(+) interaction is favoured by large near-threshold cross section within a nonrelativistic parametrization investigation, and a strong n Sigma(+) interaction comparable to pp interaction is also indicated. Based on this analysis we calculate the contribution from resonance Delta*(1920) through pi(+) exchange within resonance model, and the numerical result suggests a rather small near-threshold total cross section, which is consistent with the COSY-ANKE data. With an additional sub-threshold resonance Delta*(1620), the model gives a much better description to the rather large near-threshold total cross section published by COSY-11

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.

Impact Parameter Dependence of 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 the beam energy of 50MeV/nucleon and with the impact parameters 2 fm, 4 fm and 8 fm, 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.

Neutron and proton diffusion in fusion reactions for the synthesis of superheavy nuclei

The restriction of the one dimensional (1D) master equation (ME) with the mass number of the projectile-like fragment as a variable is studied, and a two-dimensional (2D) master equation with the neutron and proton numbers as independent variables is set up, and solved numerically. Our study showed that the 2D ME can describe the fusion process well in all projectile-target combinations. Therefore the possible channels to synthesize super-heavy nuclei can be studied correctly in wider possibilities. The available condition for employing 1D ME is pointed out.

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.

Probing the high density behavior of the symmetry energy by using the free neutron-proton ratio

Based on the isospin- and momentum-dependent transport model IBUU04, the transverse momentum distributions of the free neutron-proton ratio in the Sn-132+(124) Sn reaction system at mid-central collisions with beam energies of 400/A MeV, 600/A MeV and 800/A MeV are studied by using two different symmetry energies. It is found that the free neutron-proton ratio as a function of the transverse momentum at the mid-rapidity is very sensitive to the density dependency of the symmetry energy especially at incident energies around 400/AMeV.

Probing the high density behavior of the symmetry energy by using proton elliptic flow

Based on the isospin- and momentum-dependent transport model IBUU04, we calculated the reaction of the Sn-132+Sn-124 systems in semi-central collisions at beam energies of 400/A MeV, 600/A MeV and 800/A MeV by adopting two different density dependent symmetry energies. It was found that the proton differential elliptic flow as a function of transverse momentum is quite sensitive to the density dependence of symmetry energy, especially for the considered beam energy range. Therefore the proton differential elliptic flow may be considered as a robust probe for investigating the high density behavior of symmetry energy in intermediate energy heavy ion collisions.

Double neutron-proton differential transverse flow as a probe for the high density behavior of the nuclear symmetry energy

The double neutron-proton differential transverse flow taken from two reaction systems using different isotopes of the same element is studied at incident beam energies of 400 and 800 MeV/nucleon within the framework of an isospin- and momentum-dependent hadronic transport model IBUU04. The double differential flow is found to retain about the same sensitivity to the density dependence of the nuclear symmetry energy as the single differential flow in the more neutron-rich reaction. Because the double differential flow reduces significantly both the systematic errors and the influence of the Coulomb force, it is thus more effective probe for the high-density behavior of the nuclear symmetry energy.

Probing the high density behavior of the symmetry energy by using the neutron-proton differential flow

Based on the isospin- and momentum-dependent transport model IBUU04, we investigated the neutron-proton differential flow in the (132) Sn + (124) Sn mid-central collisions at beam energies of 400MeV/A, 600MeV/A and 800MeV/A by adopting two different symmetry energies. It was found that the neutron-proton differential flow as a function of rapidity is very sensitive to the density dependence of symmetry energy, especially at incident energies around 400MeV/A

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.

Higher Moments of Net Proton Multiplicity Distributions at RHIC

200 GeV corresponding to baryon chemical potentials (mu(B)) between 200 and 20 MeV. Our measurements of the products kappa sigma(2) and S sigma, which can be related to theoretical calculations sensitive to baryon number susceptibilities and long-range correlations, are constant as functions of collision centrality. We compare these products with results from lattice QCD and various models without a critical point and study the root s(NN) dependence of kappa sigma(2). From the measurements at the three beam energies, we find no evidence for a critical point in the QCD phase diagram for mu(B) below 200 MeV.

A Nanomechanical Device Based on Light-Driven Proton Pumps

In this paper, a hybrid device based on a microcantilever interfaced with bacteriorhodopsin (bR) is constructed. The microcantilever, on which the highly oriented bR film is self-assembled, undergoes controllable and reversible bending when the light-driven proton pump protein, bR, on the microcantilever surface is activated by visible light. Several control experiments are carried out to preclude the influence of heat and photothermal effects. It is shown that the nanomechanical motion is induced by the resulting gradient of protons, which are transported from the KCl solution on the cytoplasmic side of the bR film towards the extracellular side of the bR film. Along with a simple physical interpretation, the microfabricated cantilever interfaced with the organized molecular film of bR can simulate the natural machinery in converting solar energy to mechanical energy.