Year: 2008
Type: article
Abstract: At finite temperatures and low densities, nuclei may undergo a phase change similar to a classical liquid-gas phase transition. Temperature is the control parameter while density and pressure are the conjugate variables. In the nucleus the difference between the proton and neutron concentrations acts as an additional order parameter, for which the symmetry potential is the conjugate variable. We present experimental results which reveal the N/Z dependence of the phase transition and discuss possible implications of these observations in terms of the Landau free energy description of critical phenomena.
Source: Physical Review Letters
Authors: A. Bonasera, Z. Chen, R. Wada, K. Hagel, J. Natowitz, P. Sahu, L. Qin, S. Kowalski, Th. Keutgen, T. Materna, T. Nakagawa
Language: English
Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2015919232