arXiv subjects

W. Trautmann

Publications and source records attributed to W. Trautmann.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Neutron Star Radii from Laboratory Experiments

Our present knowledge of the nuclear equation of state is briefly reviewed in this article intended for a wider readership. Particular emphasis is given to the asymmetric-matter equation of state required for modeling neutron stars, neutron-star mergers, and r-process nucleosynthesis. Recent analyses based on combining information obtained from nuclear theory, heavy-ion collisions and astrophysical observations confine the obtained radii of the canonical 1.4-solar-mass neutron star to values between 12 km and 13 km. The remaining uncertainty is primarily related to missing information in the density interval between nuclear saturation density and about twice that value which, however, is accessible with laboratory experiments.

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arXiv2023

Neutrons from projectile fragmentation at 600 MeV/nucleon

The neutron emission in projectile fragmentation at relativistic energies was studied with the Large-Area-Neutron-Detector LAND coupled to the ALADIN forward spectrometer at the GSI Schwerionen-Synchrotron (SIS). Stable 124Sn and radioactive 107Sn and 124La beams with an incident energy of 600 MeV/nucleon were used to explore the N/Z dependence of the identified neutron source. A cluster-recognition algorithm is applied for identifying individual particles within the hit distributions registered with LAND. The obtained momentum distributions are extrapolated over the full phase space occupied by the neutrons from the projectile-spectator source. The mean multiplicities of spectator neutrons reach values of up to about 11 and depend strongly on the isotopic composition of the projectile. An effective source temperature of T \approx 2-5 MeV, monotonically increasing with decreasing impact parameter, is deduced from the transverse momentum distributions. For the interpretation of the data, calculations with the statistical multifragmentation model were performed. The variety of excited projectile spectators assumed to decay statistically is represented by an ensemble of excited sources with parameters determined previously from the fragment production observed in the same experiments. The obtained agreement is very satisfactory for more peripheral collisions where, according to the model, neutrons are mainly emitted during the secondary decays of excited fragments. The neutron multiplicity in more central collisions is underestimated, indicating that other sources besides the modeled statistical breakup contribute to the observed neutron yield. The choice made for the symmetry-term coefficient of the liquid-drop description of produced fragments has a weak effect on the predicted neutron multiplicities.

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arXiv2023

Isospin compositions of correlated sources in the Fermi energy domain

Isotopic yield distributions of nuclei produced in peripheral collisions of $^{80}$Kr+$^{40,48}$Ca at 35 MeV/nucleon are studied. Experimental results obtained by the FAZIA Collaboration at the LNS facility in Catania are compared with calculations performed with the statistical multifragmentation model (SMM). The fragments with atomic number $Z=19-24$ observed at forward angles are successfully described with the ensemble method previously established for reactions at higher energy. Using the SMM results, the isotopic compositions of the projectile residues are reconstructed. The results indicate a significant isospin exchange between the projectile and target nuclei, not far from isospin equilibrium, during the initial phase of the reaction. The two groups of light fragments with $Z=1-4$, experimentally distinguished by their velocities relative to coincident heavy projectile fragments, are found to originate from different sources. The isotopic composition of the slower group is consistent with emission from a low-density neck, enriched in neutrons, and satisfactorily reproduced with SMM calculations for a corresponding neck source of small mass.

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arXiv2021

Constraining Neutron-Star Matter with Microscopic and Macroscopic Collisions

Interpreting high-energy, astrophysical phenomena, such as supernova explosions or neutron-star collisions, requires a robust understanding of matter at supranuclear densities. However, our knowledge about dense matter explored in the cores of neutron stars remains limited. Fortunately, dense matter is not only probed in astrophysical observations, but also in terrestrial heavy-ion collision experiments. In this work, we use Bayesian inference to combine data from astrophysical multi-messenger observations of neutron stars and from heavy-ion collisions of gold nuclei at relativistic energies with microscopic nuclear theory calculations to improve our understanding of dense matter. We find that the inclusion of heavy-ion collision data indicates an increase in the pressure in dense matter relative to previous analyses, shifting neutron-star radii towards larger values, consistent with recent NICER observations. Our findings show that constraints from heavy-ion collision experiments show a remarkable consistency with multi-messenger observations and provide complementary information on nuclear matter at intermediate densities. This work combines nuclear theory, nuclear experiment, and astrophysical observations, and shows how joint analyses can shed light on the properties of neutron-rich supranuclear matter over the density range probed in neutron stars.

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arXiv2021

Symmetry energy at high densities from neutron/proton flow excitation functions

Determination of the high density behavior of the symmetry energy through the simultaneous measurement of elliptic flow excitation functions of neutrons, protons and light clusters is proposed. The elliptic flow developed in relativistic heavy ion collisions has been proven theoretically and experimentally to have a unique sensitivity and robustness in probing the symmetry energy up to around $2 \rho_{o}$. The knowledge of the density dependence of the symmetry energy in a broad range of densities will provide a missing link for astrophysical predictions of the neutron star mass--radius relation. In particular, the data colud provide tighter constraints on the slope parameter L and entirely new limits on $K_{sym}$, the currently poorly constrained symmetry energy curvature parameter.

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arXiv2020

The percolation phase transition and statistical multifragmentation in finite systems

The cumulant ratios up to fourth order of the $Z$ distributions of the largest fragment in spectator fragmentation following $^{107,124}$Sn+Sn and $^{124}$La+Sn collisions at 600 MeV/nucleon have been investigated. They are found to exhibit the signatures of a second-order phase transition established with cubic bond percolation and previously observed in the ALADIN experimental data for fragmentation of $^{197}$Au projectiles at similar energies. The deduced pseudocritical points are found to be only weakly dependent on the $A/Z$ ratio of the fragmenting spectator source. The same holds for the corresponding chemical freeze-out temperatures of close to 6 MeV. The experimental cumulant distributions are quantitatively reproduced with the Statistical Multifragmentation Model and parameters used to describe the experimental fragment multiplicities, isotope distributions and their correlations with impact-parameter related observables in these reactions. The characteristic coincidence of the zero transition of the skewness with the minimum of the kurtosis excess appears to be a generic property of statistical models and is found to coincide with the maximum of the heat capacity in the canonical thermodynamic fragmentation model.

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arXiv2019

High Density with Elliptic Flows

The elliptic flow of emitted particles and fragments observed in heavy-ion reactions at high energy has become an important observable reflecting the pressure generated in the dense collision zone. More recently, the strength of the nuclear symmetry energy has been investigated by measuring the ratios or differences of the elliptic flows exhibited by neutrons and charged particles in 197Au+197Au collisions at 400 MeV/nucleon incident energy at the GSI laboratory. A moderately soft to linear dependence on density was deduced for a range of densities shown to reach beyond twice the saturation value in these experiments. The known sources of uncertainties and possible model dependencies were thoroughly studied with transport models of the UrQMD and Tuebingen QMD type. A new source of information on the nuclear equation of state at high density has opened up with the observation of the first LIGO and Virgo GW170817 gravitational wave signal from a neutron star merger. The quantitative comparison of terrestrial and celestial results on the basis of measured or inferred neutron star radii or core pressures, including those obtained from X-ray observations, reveals a rather satisfactory agreement. Depending on the precision that can be achieved with future measurements and observations, it will thus become possible to assess the validity of the applied models and methods. The perspectives for improved experiments at FAIR using the NeuLAND and KRAB detection systems are outlined.

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arXiv2018

Distributions of the largest fragment size in multifragmentation: Traces of a phase transition

Distributions of the largest fragment charge are studied using the ALADIN data on fragmentation of $^{197}$Au projectiles at relativistic energies. The statistical measures skewness and kurtosis of higher-order fluctuations provide a robust indication of the transition point, linked to a phase transition in the thermodynamic limit. Extensive comparisons with predictions of a bond percolation model corroborate the high accuracy of this model in reproducing the distributions as well as the whole fragmentation pattern as represented by the measured charge correlations. In analogy to percolation, the pseudocritical and critical points are identified in the fragmentation data. Questions concerning the distinction between different models and between first- and second-order phase transitions are discussed.

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arXiv2017

Elliptic Flow and the Nuclear Equation of State

New constraints for the nuclear equation of state at suprasaturation densities have been obtained by measuring collective particle flows in heavy-ion reactions at relativistic energies. Ratios and differences of neutron and hydrogen flows in 197Au + 197Au collisions at 400 MeV/nucleon were used in studies of the asymmetric-matter equation of state. The comparison with predictions of transport models favors a moderately soft to linear density dependence, consistent with ab-initio nuclear matter theories. Model predictions suggest that comprehensive data sets collected at higher bombarding energies will provide information on the asymmetric-matter equation of state in the density range up to two or three times the saturation value.

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arXiv2016

Results of the ASY-EOS experiment at GSI: The symmetry energy at suprasaturation density

Directed and elliptic flows of neutrons and light charged particles were measured for the reaction 197Au+197Au at 400 MeV/nucleon incident energy within the ASY-EOS experimental campaign at the GSI laboratory. The detection system consisted of the Large Area Neutron Detector LAND, combined with parts of the CHIMERA multidetector, of the ALADIN Time-of-flight Wall, and of the Washington-University Microball detector. The latter three arrays were used for the event characterization and reaction-plane reconstruction. In addition, an array of triple telescopes, KRATTA, was used for complementary measurements of the isotopic composition and flows of light charged particles. From the comparison of the elliptic flow ratio of neutrons with respect to charged particles with UrQMD predictions, a value γ= 0.72 \pm 0.19 is obtained for the power-law coefficient describing the density dependence of the potential part in the parametrization of the symmetry energy. It represents a new and more stringent constraint for the regime of supra-saturation density and confirms, with a considerably smaller uncertainty, the moderately soft to linear density dependence deduced from the earlier FOPI-LAND data. The densities probed are shown to reach beyond twice saturation.

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arXiv2015

Theoretical study of projectile fragmentation in the reactions $^{112}$Sn + $^{112}$Sn and $^{124}$Sn + $^{124}$Sn at 1 GeV/nucleon

We analyze the production cross sections and isotopic distributions of projectile-like residues in the reactions $^{112}$Sn + $^{112}$Sn and $^{124}$Sn + $^{124}$Sn at an incident beam energy of 1 GeV/nucleon measured with the FRS fragment separator at the GSI laboratory. Calculations within the statistical multifragmentation model (SMM) for an ensemble of excited sources were performed with ensemble parameters determined previously for similar reactions at 600 MeV/nucleon. The obtained good agreement with the experiment establishes the universal properties of the excited spectator systems produced during the dynamical stage of the reaction. It is furthermore confirmed that a significant reduction of the symmetry-energy term at the freeze-out stage of reduced density and high temperature is necessary to reproduce the experimental isotope distributions. A trend of decreasing symmetry energy for large neutron-rich fragments of low excitation energy is interpreted as a nuclear-structure effect.

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arXiv2014

Collective flows of light particles in the Au+Au collision at intermediate energies

The Skyrme potential energy density functional is introduced into the Ultrarelativistic Quantum Molecular Dynamics (UrQMD) model and the updated version is applied to studying the directed and elliptic flows of light particles (protons, neutrons, deuterons, tritons, $^3$He and $^4$He) in $^{197}$Au+$^{197}$Au collisions at beam energies 150, 250 and 400 MeV/nucleon. The results are compared with the recent FOPI experimental data. It is found that the yields and collective flows of light particles can be described quite well. The influence of the equation of state (EoS), medium-modified nucleon-nucleon elastic cross sections (NNECS) and cluster recognition criteria on the directed and elliptic flows is studied in detail. It is found that the flows of light particles are sensitive to the medium-modified NNECS, but not sensitive to the isospin dependent cluster recognition criteria. It seems difficult, however, even with the new data and calculations, to obtain a more accurate constraint on the nuclear incompressibility $K_0$ than the interval 200-260 MeV.

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arXiv2014

Constraining the high-density nuclear symmetry energy with the transverse-momentum dependent elliptic flow

Within the newly updated version of the ultrarelativistic quantum molecular dynamics (UrQMD) model, the transverse-velocity dependence of the elliptic flow of free nucleons from $^{197}$Au+$^{197}$Au collisions at the incident energy 400 MeV$/$nucleon is studied within different windows of the normalized c.m. rapidity $y_0$. It is found that the elliptic flow difference $v_{2}^{n}$-$v_{2}^{p}$ and ratio $v_{2}^{n}$/$v_{2}^{p}$ of neutrons versus protons are sensitive to the density dependence of the symmetry energy, especially the ratio $v_{2}^{n}$/$v_{2}^{p}$ at small transverse velocity in the intermediate rapidity intervals $0.4<|y_0|<0.6$. By comparing either transverse-momentum dependent or integrated FOPI/LAND elliptic flow data of nucleons and hydrogen isotopes with calculations using various Skyrme interactions, all exhibiting similar values of isoscalar incompressibility but very different density dependences of the symmetry energy, a moderately soft to linear symmetry energy is extracted, in good agreement with previous UrQMD or Tübingen QMD model calculations but contrasting results obtained with $π^-/π^+$ yield ratios available in the literature.

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arXiv2013

Towards a model-independent constraint of the high-density dependence of the symmetry energy

Neutron-proton elliptic flow difference and ratio have been shown to be promising observables in the attempt to constrain the density dependence of the symmetry energy above the saturation point from heavy-ion collision data. Their dependence on model parameters like microscopic nucleon-nucleon cross-sections, compressibility of nuclear matter, optical potential, and symmetry energy parametrization is thoroughly studied. By using a parametrization of the symmetry energy derived from the momentum dependent Gogny force in conjunction with the Tübingen QMD model and comparing with the experimental FOPI/LAND data for 197Au+197Au collisions at 400 MeV/nucleon, a moderately stiff, x=-1.35 +/- 1.25, symmetry energy is extracted, a result that agrees with that of a similar study that employed the UrQMD transport model and a momentum independent power-law parametrization of the symmetry energy. This contrasts with diverging results extracted from the FOPI $π^{-}/π^{+}$ ratio available in the literature.

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arXiv2013

Flow probe of symmetry energy in relativistic heavy-ion reactions

Flow observables in heavy-ion reactions at incident energies up to about 1 GeV per nucleon have been shown to be very useful for investigating the reaction dynamics and for determining the parameters of reaction models based on transport theory. In particular, the elliptic flow in collisions of neutron-rich heavy-ion systems emerges as an observable sensitive to the strength of the symmetry energy at supra-saturation densities. The comparison of ratios or differences of neutron and proton flows or neutron and hydrogen flows with predictions of transport models favors an approximately linear density dependence, consistent with ab-initio nuclear-matter theories. Extensive parameter searches have shown that the model dependence is comparable to the uncertainties of existing experimental data. Comprehensive new flow data of high accuracy, partly also through providing stronger constraints on model parameters, can thus be expected to improve our knowledge of the equation of state of asymmetric nuclear matter.

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arXiv2013

Hypernuclear spectroscopy of products from 6Li projectiles on a carbon target at 2 AGeV

A novel experiment, aiming at demonstrating the feasibility of hypernuclear spectroscopy with heavy-ion beams, was conducted. Using the invariant mass method, the spectroscopy of hypernuclear products of 6Li projectiles on a carbon target at 2 AGeV was performed. Signals of the Λ-hyperon and 3ΛH and 4ΛH hypernuclei were observed for final states of p+π^-, 3He+π^- and 4He+π^-, respectively, with significance values of 6.7, 4.7 and 4.9σ. By analyzing the proper decay time from secondary vertex distribution with the unbinned maximum likelihood fitting method, their lifetime values were deduced to be $262 ^{+56}_{-43} \pm 45$ ps for Λ, $183 ^{+42}_{-32} \pm 37$ ps for 3ΛH, and $140 ^{+48}_{-33}\pm 35 $ ps for 4ΛH.

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arXiv2013

KRATTA, a versatile triple telescope array for charged reaction products

A new detection system KRATTA, Kraków Triple Telescope Array, is presented. This versatile, low threshold, broad energy range system has been built to measure the energy, emission angle, and isotopic composition of light charged reaction products. It consists of 38 independent modules which can be arranged in an arbitrary configuration. A single module, covering actively about 4.5 msr of the solid angle at the optimal distance of 40 cm from the target, consists of three identical, 0.500 mm thick, large area photodiodes, used also for direct detection, and of two CsI(1500 ppm Tl) crystals of 2.5 and 12.5 cm length, respectively. All the signals are digitally processed. The lower identification threshold, due to the thickness of the first photodiode, has been reduced to about 2.5 MeV for protons (~0.065 mm of Si equivalent) by applying a pulse shape analysis. The pulse shape analysis allowed also to decompose the complex signals from the middle photodiode into their ionization and scintillation components and to obtain a satisfactory isotopic resolution with a single readout channel. The upper energy limit for protons is about 260 MeV. The whole setup is easily portable. It performed very well during the ASY-EOS experiment, conducted in May 2011 at GSI. The structure and performance of the array are described using the results of Au+Au collisions at 400 MeV/nucleon obtained in this experiment.

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arXiv2012

The ASY-EOS experiment at GSI: investigating the symmetry energy at supra-saturation densities

The elliptic-flow ratio of neutrons with respect to protons in reactions of neutron rich heavy-ions systems at intermediate energies has been proposed as an observable sensitive to the strength of the symmetry term in the nuclear Equation Of State (EOS) at supra-saturation densities. The recent results obtained from the existing FOPI/LAND data for $^{197}$Au+$^{197}$Au collisions at 400 MeV/nucleon in comparison with the UrQMD model allowed a first estimate of the symmetry term of the EOS but suffer from a considerable statistical uncertainty. In order to obtain an improved data set for Au+Au collisions and to extend the study to other systems, a new experiment was carried out at the GSI laboratory by the ASY-EOS collaboration in May 2011.

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