A model for multifragmentation in heavy-ion reactions

TL;DR

This paper evaluates a Quantum Molecular Dynamics (QMD) model coupled with FLUKA for simulating multifragmentation in heavy-ion reactions, comparing its predictions with experimental data and exploring its implications for nuclear symmetry energy.

Contribution

It demonstrates the capabilities and limitations of a QMD + FLUKA model in reproducing experimental multifragmentation data and discusses its application to isoscaling and symmetry energy analysis.

Findings

QMD + FLUKA model reproduces key features of experimental multifragmentation data.

The model provides insights into isotopic yield ratios and symmetry energy.

Application to Nb + Mg reaction at 30 MeV/A shows promising results.

Abstract

From an experimental point of view, clear signatures of multifragmentation have been detected by different experiments. On the other hand, from a theoretical point of view, many different models, built on the basis of totally different and often even contrasting assumptions, have been provided to explain them. In this contribution we show the capabilities and the shortcomings of one of this models, a QMD code developed by us and coupled to the nuclear de-excitation module taken from the multipurpose transport and interaction code FLUKA, in reproducing the multifragmentation observations recently reported by the INDRA collaboration for the reaction Nb + Mg at a 30 MeV/A projectile bombarding energy. As far as fragment production is concerned, we also briefly discuss the isoscaling technique by considering reactions characterized by a different isospin asymmetry, and we explain how the QMD + FLUKA model can be applied to obtain information on the slope of isotopic yield ratios, which is crucially related to the symmetry energy of asymmetric nuclear matter.