Bimodality: a possible experimental signature of the liquid-gas phase transition in nuclear matter

Pichon, M.; Tamain, B.; Bougault, R.; Gulminelli, F.; Lopez, O.; Bonnet, E.; Borderie, B.; Chbihi, A.; Dayras, R.; Frankland, J. D.; Galichet, E.; Guinet, D.; Lautesse, P.; Le Neindre, N.; Parlog, M.; Rivet, M. F.; Rosato, Elio; Roy, R.; Vient, E.; Vigilante, Mariano; Volant, C.; Wielezcko, J. P.; Zwieglinski, B.

doi:10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2006.08.008

We have observed a bimodal behaviour of the distribution of the asymmetry between the charges of the two heaviest products resulting from the decay of the quasi-projectile released in binary Xe + Sn and Au+ Au collisions from 60 to 100 MeV/u. Event sorting has been achieved through the transverse energy of light charged particles emitted on the quasi-target side, thus avoiding artificial correlations between the bimodality signal and the sorting variable. Bimodality is observed for intermediate impact parameters for which the quasi-projectile is identified. A simulation shows that the deexcitation step rather than the geometry of the collision appears responsible for the bimodal behaviour. The influence of mid-rapidity

Bimodality: a possible experimental signature of the liquid-gas phase transition in nuclear matter / M., Pichon; B., Tamain; R., Bougault; F., Gulminelli; O., Lopez; E., Bonnet; B., Borderie; A., Chbihi; R., Dayras; J. D., Frankland; E., Galichet; D., Guinet; P., Lautesse; N., Le Neindre; M., Parlog; M. F., Rivet; Rosato, Elio; R., Roy; E., Vient; Vigilante, Mariano; C., Volant; J. P., Wielezcko; B., Zwieglinski. - In: NUCLEAR PHYSICS. A. - ISSN 0375-9474. - STAMPA. - 779:(2006), pp. 267-296. [10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2006.08.008]