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D. Gruyer

Publications and source records attributed to D. Gruyer.

35 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Phase transition dynamics for hot nuclei

An abnormal production of events with almost equal-sized fragments was theoretically proposed as a signature of spinodal instabilities responsible for nuclear multifragmentation in the Fermi energy domain. On the other hand finite size effects are predicted to strongly reduce this abnormal production. High statistics quasifusion hot nuclei produced in central collisions between Xe and Sn isotopes at 32 and 45 AMeV incident energies have been used to definitively establish, through the experimental measurement of charge correlations, the presence of spinodal instabilities. N/Z influence was also studied.

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Study and validation of a new "3D Calorimetry" of hot nuclei with the HIPSE event generator

In nuclear thermodynamics, the determination of the excitation energy of hot nuclei is a fundamental experimental problem. Instrumental physicists have been trying to solve this problem for several years by building the most exhaustive 4Pi detector arrays and perfecting their calorimetry techniques. In a recent paper, a proposal for a new calorimetry, called "3D calorimetry", was made. It tries to optimize the separation between the particles and fragments emitted by the Quasi-Projectile and the other possible contributions. This can be achieved by determining the experimental probability for a given nucleus of a nuclear reaction to be emitted by the Quasi-Projectile. It has been developed for the INDRA data. In the present work, we wanted to dissect and validate this new method of characterization of a hot Quasi-Projectile. So we tried to understand and control it completely to determine these limits. Using the HIPSE event generator and a software simulating the functioning of INDRA, we were able to achieve this goal and provide a quantitative estimation of the quality of the QP characterization.

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Sequential fission of highly excited compound nuclei in a 4D Langevin approach

In highly dissipative collisions between heavy ions, the optimal conditions to investigate different de-excitation channels of hot nuclei such as evaporation, fission or multifragmentation are well known. One crucial issue remains the excitation energy region where fission gives way to multifragmentation. In this paper, the onset of multi-fragment exit channels is investigated in terms of sequential fission. For the first time, the dynamical approach based on solving Langevin transport equations in multidimensional collective coordinate space is used to follow the de-excitation of highly excited (up to E* =223-656 MeV) 248Rf compound nuclei. The sequential fission model we propose contains two steps: (1) time evolution of the compound nucleus up to either scission or residue formation, followed by (2) dynamical calculations of each primary fragment separately. This procedure allows to obtain from one to four cold fragments correlated with the light particles emitted during the de-excitation process. Experimental data measured with the INDRA detector for the 129Xe+ natSn reaction at beam energies 8, 12 and 15 MeV/nucleon provide strong constraints for this sequential fission scenario.

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A new "3D Calorimetry" of hot nuclei

In the domain of Fermi energy, it is extremely complex to isolate experimentally fragments and particles issued from the cooling of a hot nucleus produced during a heavy ion collision. This paper presents a new method to characterize more precisely hot Quasi-Projectiles. It tries to take into account as accurately as possible the distortions generated by all the other potential participants in the nuclear reaction. It is quantitatively shown that this method is a major improvement respect to classic calorimetries used with a 4$π$ detector array. By detailing and deconvolving the different steps of the reconstitution of the hot nucleus, this study shows also the respective role played by the experimental device and the event selection criteria on the quality of the determination of QP characteristics.

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Improving isotopic identification with \emph{INDRA} Silicon-CsI(\emph{Tl}) telescopes

Profiting from previous works done with the \emph{INDRA} multidetector on the description of the light response $\mathcal L$ of the CsI(\emph{Tl}) crystals to different impinging nuclei, we propose an improved $ΔE - \mathcal L$ identification-calibration procedure for Silicon-Cesium Iodide (Si-CsI) telescopes, namely an Advanced Mass Estimate (\emph{AME}) method. \emph{AME} is compared to the usual, %$"ΔE - E"$ simple visual analysis of the corresponding two-dimensional map of $ΔE - E$ type, by using \emph{INDRA} experimental data from nuclear reactions induced by heavy ions in the Fermi energy regime. We show that the capability of such telescopes to identify both the atomic $Z$ and the mass $A$ numbers of light and heavy reaction products, can be quantitatively improved thanks to the proposed approach. This conclusion opens new possibilities to use \emph{INDRA} for studying these reactions especially with radioactive beams. Indeed, the determination of the mass for charged reaction products becomes of paramount importance to shed light on the role of the isospin degree of freedom in the nuclear equation of state.

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Understand the thermometry of hot nuclei from the energy spectra of light charged particles

In the domain of Fermi energy, the hot nucleus temperature can be determined by using the energy spectra of evaporated light charged particles. But this method of measurement is not without difficulties both theoretical and experimental. The presented study aims to disentangle the respective influences of different factors on the quality of this measurement : the physics, the detection (a 4? detector array as INDRA) and the experimental procedure. This analysis demonstrates the possibility of determining from an energy spectrum, with an accuracy of about 10 %, the true apparent temperature felt by a given type of particle emitted by a hot nucleus. Three conditions are however necessary : have a perfect detector of particles, an important statistics and very few secondary emissions. According to the GEMINI event generator, for hot nuclei of intermediate mass, only deuterons and tritons could fill these conditions. This temperature can allow to trace back to the initial temperature by using an appropriate method. This determination may be better than 15 %. With a real experimental device, an insufficient angular resolution and topological distortions caused by the detection can damage spectra to the point to make very difficult a correct determination of the apparent temperature. The experimental reconstruction of the frame of the hot nucleus may also be responsible for this deterioration

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Light charged clusters emitted in 32 MeV/nucleon 136,124Xe+124,112Sn reactions: chemical equilibrium, 3He and 6He production

Nuclear particle production from peripheral to central events is presented. N/Z gradient between projectile and target is studied using the fact that two reactions have the same projectile+target N/Z and so the same neutron to proton ratio for the combined system. Inclusive data study in the forward part of the center of mass indicates that N/Z equilibration between the projectile-like and the target-like is achieved for central collisions. Particles are also produced from mid-rapidity region. 3He mean pre-equilibrium character is evidenced and 6He production at mid-rapidity implies a neutron enrichment phenomenon of the projectile target interacting zone.

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Semi-automatic charge and mass identification in two-dimensional matrices

This article presents a new semi-automatic method for charge and mass identification in two-dimensional matrices. The proposed algorithm is based on the matrix's properties and uses as little information as possible on the global form of the identification lines, making it applicable to a large variety of matrices, including Particular attention has been paid to the implementation in a suitable graphical environment, so that only two mouse-clicks are required from the user to calculate all initialization parameters. Example applications to recent data from both INDRA and FAZIA telescopes are presented.

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Signals of Bose Einstein condensation and Fermi quenching in the decay of hot nuclear systems

We report experimental signals of Bose-Einstein condensation in the decay of hot Ca projectile-like sources produced in mid-peripheral collisions at sub-Fermi energies. The experimental setup, constituted by the coupling of the INDRA 4$π$ detector array to the forward angle VAMOS magnetic spectrometer, allowed us to reconstruct the mass, charge and excitation energy of the decaying hot projectile-like sources. Furthermore, by means of quantum fluctuation analysis techniques, temperatures and mean volumes per particle "as seen by" bosons and fermions separately are correlated to the excitation energy of the reconstructed system. The obtained results are consistent with the production of dilute mixed (bosons/fermions) systems, where bosons experience a smaller volume as compared to the surrounding fermionic gas. Our findings recall similar phenomena observed in the study of boson condensates in atomic traps.

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Investigation of collective radial expansion and stopping in heavy ion collisions at Fermi energies

We present an analysis of multifragmentation events observed in central Xe+Sn reactions at Fermi energies. Performing a comparison between the predictions of the Stochastic Mean Field (SMF) transport model and experimental data, we investigate the impact of the compression-expansion dynamics on the properties of the final reaction products. We show that the amount of radial collective expansion, which characterizes the dynamical stage of the reaction, influences directly the onset of multifragmentation and the kinematic properties of multifragmentation events. For the same set of events we also undertake a shape analysis in momentum space, looking at the degree of stopping reached in the collision, as proposed in recent experimental studies. We show that full stopping is achieved for the most central collisions at Fermi energies. However, considering the same central event selection as in the experimental data, we observe a similar behavior of the stopping power with the beam energy, which can be associated with a change of the fragmentation mechanism, from statistical to prompt fragment emission.

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Energy measurement and fragment identification using digital signals from partially depleted Si detectors

A study of identification properties of a Si-Si DE-E telescope exploiting an underdepleted residual-energy detector has been performed. Five different bias voltages have been used, one corresponding to full depletion, the others associated with a depleted layer ranging from 90% to 60% of the detector thickness. Fragment identification has been performed using either the DE-E technique or Pulse Shape Analysis (PSA). Both detectors are reverse mounted: particles enter from the low field side, to enhance the PSA performance. The achieved charge and mass resolution has been quantitatively expressed using a Figure of Merit (FoM). Charge collection efficiency has been evaluated and the possibility of energy calibration corrections has been considered. We find that the DE-E performance is not affected by incomplete depletion even when only 60% of the wafer is depleted. Isotopic separation capability improves at lower bias voltages with respect to full depletion, though charge identification thresholds are higher than at full depletion. Good isotopic identification via PSA has been obtained from a partially depleted detector whose doping uniformity is not good enough for isotopic identification at full depletion.

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N and Z odd-even staggering in Kr + Sn collisions at Fermi energies

The odd-even staggering of the yield of final reaction products has been studied as a function of proton (Z) and neutron (N) numbers for the collisions 84 Kr+112 Sn and 84 Kr+124 Sn at 35 MeV/nucleon, in a wide range of elements (up to Z ~ 20). The experimental data show that staggering effects rapidly decrease with increasing size of the fragments. Moreover the staggering in N is definitely larger than the one in Z. Similar general features are qualitatively reproduced by the GEMINI code. Concerning the comparison of the two systems, the staggering in N is in general rather similar, being slightly larger only for the lightest fragments produced in the n-rich system. In contrast the staggering in Z, although smaller than that in N, is sizably larger for the n-poor system with respect to the n-rich one.

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Isospin transport in 84Kr+112,124Sn reactions at Fermi energies

Isospin transport phenomena in dissipative heavy ion collisions have been investigated at Fermi energies with a beam of 84Kr at 35AMeV. A comparison of the /Z of light and medium products forward-emitted in the centre of mass frame when the beam impinges on a n-poor 112Sn and a n-rich 124Sn targets is presented. Data were collected by means of a three-layer telescope with very good performances in terms of mass identification (full isotopic resolution up to Z about 20 for ions punching through the first detector layer) built by the FAZIA Collaboration and located just beyond the grazing angle for both reactions. The /Z of the decay products emitted when the n-rich target is used is always higher than that associated to the n-poor one. Since the detector was able to measure only fragments coming from the QuasiProjectile decay and/or neck emission, the observed behaviour can be ascribed to the isospin diffusion, driven by the isospin gradient between QuasiProjectile and QuasiTarget. Moreover, for light fragments the /Z as a function of the lab velocity of the fragment increases when we move from the QuasiProjectile velocity to the centre of mass (neck zone). This effect can be interpreted as an evidence of isospin drift driven by the density gradient between the QuasiProjectile zone (at normal density) and the more diluted neck zone.

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The european FAZIA initiative: a high-performance digital telescope array for heavy-ion studies

The european Fazia collaboration aims at building a new modular array for charged product identification to be employed for heavy-ion studies. The elementary module of the array is a Silicon-Silicon-CsI telescope, optimized for ion identification also via pulse shape analysis. The achievement of top performances imposes specific electronics which has been developed by FAZIA and features high quality charge and current preamplifiers, coupled to fully digital front-end. During the initial R&D phase, original and novel solutions have been tested in prototypes, obtaining unprecedented ion identification capabilities. FAZIA is now constructing a demonstrator array consisting of about two hundreds telescopes arranged in a compact and transportable configuration. In this contribution, we mainly summarize some aspects studied by FAZIA to improve the ion identification. Then we will briefly discuss the FAZIA program centered on experiments to be done with the demonstrator. First results on the isospin dynamics obtained with a reduced set-up demonstrate well the performance of the telescope and represent a good starting point towards future investigations with both stable and exotic beams.

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Constrained caloric curves and phase transition for hot nuclei

Simulations based on experimental data obtained from multifragmenting quasi-fused nuclei produced in central $^{129}$Xe + $^{nat}$Sn collisions have been used to deduce event by event freeze-out properties in the thermal excitation energy range 4-12 AMeV [Nucl. Phys. A809 (2008) 111]. From these properties and the temperatures deduced from proton transverse momentum fluctuations, constrained caloric curves have been built. At constant average volumes caloric curves exhibit a monotonic behaviour whereas for constrained pressures a backbending is observed. Such results support the existence of a first order phase transition for hot nuclei.

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Nuclear multifragmentation time-scale and fluctuations of largest fragment size

Distributions of the largest fragment charge, Zmax, in multifragmentation reactions around the Fermi energy can be decomposed into a sum of a Gaussian and a Gumbel distribution, whereas at much higher or lower energies one or the other distribution is asymptotically dominant. We demonstrate the same generic behavior for the largest cluster size in critical aggregation models for small systems, in or out of equilibrium, around the critical point. By analogy with the time-dependent irreversible aggregation model, we infer that Zmax distributions are characteristic of the multifragmentation time-scale, which is largely determined by the onset of radial expansion in this energy range.

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Isospin transport in 84Kr + 112,124Sn collisions at Fermi energies

Isotopically resolved fragments with Z<=20 have been studied with high resolution telescopes in a test run for the FAZIA collaboration. The fragments were produced by the collision of a 84Kr beam at 35 MeV/nucleon with a n-rich (124Sn) and a n-poor (112Sn) target. The fragments, detected close to the grazing angle, are mainly emitted from the phase-space region of the projectile. The fragment isotopic content clearly depends on the n-richness of the target and it is a direct evidence of isospin diffusion between projectile and target. The observed enhanced neutron richness of light fragments emitted from the phase-space region close to the center of mass of the system can be interpreted as an effect of isospin drift in the diluted neck region.

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