Quantal Effects on Spinodal Instabilities in Charge Asymmetric Nuclear Matter

TL;DR

This paper investigates how quantum effects influence the growth of spinodal instabilities in charge asymmetric nuclear matter, revealing shifts in unstable modes and enhanced density fluctuations at lower temperatures.

Contribution

It introduces a stochastic mean field approach to quantify quantum effects on spinodal instabilities in charge asymmetric nuclear matter, highlighting significant differences from semi-classical predictions.

Findings

Unstable modes shift to longer wavelengths due to quantum effects.

Modes with wave numbers above the Fermi momentum are suppressed.

Density fluctuations are larger at lower temperatures with quantum effects.

Abstract

Quantal effects on growth of spinodal instabilities in charge asymmetric nuclear matter are investigated in the framework of a stochastic mean field approach. Due to quantal effects, in both symmetric and asymmetric matter, dominant unstable modes shift towards longer wavelengths and modes with wave numbers larger than the Fermi momentum are strongly suppressed. As a result of quantum statistical effects, in particular at lower temperatures, magnitude of density fluctuations grows larger than those calculated in semi-classical approximation.