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Title: The sphericity of central heavy-ion reactions

Journal Article · · Physical Review, C
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;  [1]
  1. T. W. Bonner Nuclear Laboratory, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77251 National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824 (United States)

We have experimentally studied small impact parameter heavy-ion collisions in the (nearly) symmetry entrance channels {sup 12}C+{sup 12}C, {sup 20}Ne+{sup 27}Al, {sup 40}Ar+{sup 45}Sc, {sup 84}Kr+{sup 93}Nb, and {sup 129}Xe+{sup 139}La, each at many intermediate beam energies. The results from a number of analyses based on a projection of the ``shapes`` of the experimental events called the sphericity are presented. Comparisons of the relative efficiencies of various experimental methods for the selection of central events are made. The importance of autocorrelations between the sphericity and the various impact-parameter--dependent variables is evaluated. Searches for beam energy-dependent transitions from sequential binary disassembly to multifragmentation in the central events are described. Comparisons to dynamic and hybrid model code calculations will be discussed. The average sphericities of the intermediate mass fragments (IMF`s, for which 3{le}{ital Z}{approx_lt}20), are presented. The possibility that the IMF emission occurs following the formation of transient toroidal or disk-like geometries in the central events is explored. Increases in the average sphericities of the central events for increasing beam energies are observed which is attributed to transitions from sequential binary disassembly to multifragmentation. The transitional beam energies for the central {sup 40}Ar+{sup 45}Sc, {sup 84}Kr+{sup 93}Nb, and {sup 129}Xe+{sup 139}La reactions are near {similar_to}50, {similar_to}40, and {similar_to}40 MeV/nucleon, respectively.

DOE Contract Number:
FG03-93ER40772
OSTI ID:
118488
Journal Information:
Physical Review, C, Vol. 52, Issue 4; Other Information: PBD: Oct 1995
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English