Dynamical approach to spectator fragmentation in Au+Au reactions at 35 MeV/A

TL;DR

This study investigates spectator fragmentation in Au+Au collisions at 35 MeV/A using quantum molecular dynamics with two clusterization methods, finding that SACA better reproduces experimental fragment data and captures early fragment formation.

Contribution

The paper introduces the application of the simulated annealing clusterization algorithm (SACA) within quantum molecular dynamics to analyze low-energy spectator fragmentation, demonstrating its advantages over traditional methods.

Findings

SACA reproduces experimental charge yields accurately.

Fragment structure forms earlier at low incident energy.

SACA outperforms MST in modeling spectator fragmentation.

Abstract

The characteristics of fragment emission in peripheral $^{197}$Au+$^{197}$Au collisions 35 MeV/A are studied using the two clusterization approaches within framework of \emph{quantum molecular dynamics} model. Our model calculations using \emph{minimum spanning tree} (MST) algorithm and advanced clusterization method namely \emph{simulated annealing clusterization algorithm} (SACA) showed that fragment structure can be realized at an earlier time when spectators contribute significantly toward the fragment production even at such a low incident energy. Comparison of model predictions with experimental data reveals that SACA method can nicely reproduce the fragment charge yields and mean charge of the heaviest fragment. This reflects suitability of SACA method over conventional clusterization techniques to investigate spectator matter fragmentation in low energy domain.