Effective interaction dependence of the liquid-gas phase transition in symmetric nuclear matter

TL;DR

This study investigates the liquid-gas phase transition in symmetric nuclear matter using mean-field models, revealing how effective interactions influence critical properties and emphasizing the importance of effective mass density dependence.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of the interaction dependence of critical properties in nuclear matter using various Skyrme and Gogny forces, with insights into thermodynamical models and critical exponents.

Findings

Strong correlation between flashing and critical points.

Accurate critical temperature predictions require proper effective mass density dependence.

Critical exponents match Landau mean-field theory predictions.

Abstract

The liquid-gas phase transition for homogeneous symmetric nuclear matter is studied in the mean-field approximation. Critical properties are computed using a comprehensive group of Skyrme and Gogny forces in an effort to elucidate the effective interaction dependence of the results. Analytical models for the thermodynamical and critical properties are discussed and compared to an extensive set of mean-field data. In agreement with these models, a tight correlation is found between the flashing and the critical points. Accurate predictions for the critical temperature, based on saturation properties, can only be obtained after the density dependence of the effective mass is properly taken into account. While the thermodynamical properties coming from different mean-fields do not follow a law of corresponding states, the critical exponents for all the mean-fields have been found to be the same. Their values coincide with those predicted by the Landau mean-field theory of critical phenomena.