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Thermostatic properties and Coulomb instability of highly excited nuclei

Journal Article · · Physical Review, C (Nuclear Physics); (United States)
;  [1]
  1. Sektion Physik of the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen, Am Coulombwall 1, D-85748 Garching (Germany)

The nuclear excitation is expressed in terms of an intrinsic temperature. When the temperature is raised beyond a certain limiting value the nucleus becomes unstable due to the Coulomb repulsion and falls apart before the critical temperature of the liquid-vapor phase transition is reached. We isolate the finite nucleus from the surrounding vapor by using a subtracted level occupation probability. Thermo- static and limiting properties are calculated in a relativistic Thomas-Fermi approach using density-dependent coupling constants, adjusted to the outcome of relativistic Brueckner-Hartree-Fock nuclear matter treatments, and, for the purpose of comparison, density-independent coupling constants. The disappearance of fusion-like processes in heavy-ion collisions is related to the limiting excitation energy.

OSTI ID:
7238972
Journal Information:
Physical Review, C (Nuclear Physics); (United States), Journal Name: Physical Review, C (Nuclear Physics); (United States) Vol. 49:6; ISSN 0556-2813; ISSN PRVCAN
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English