Effects of short-range correlation reduced kinetic symmetry energy in heavy-ion collisions at intermediate energies

TL;DR

This paper investigates how short-range correlations reduce the kinetic symmetry energy in asymmetric nuclear matter and explores the observable effects of this reduction in intermediate-energy heavy-ion collisions.

Contribution

It introduces a model incorporating reduced kinetic symmetry energy due to short-range correlations and analyzes its impact on heavy-ion collision observables.

Findings

Reduced kinetic symmetry energy influences isospin-sensitive observables.

Enhanced role of isospin degree of freedom in collisions.

Potential for new experimental constraints on nuclear symmetry energy.

Abstract

Besides earlier predictions based on both phenomenological models and modern microscopic many-body theories, circumstantial evidence was recently found for a reduced kinetic symmetry energy of isospin-asymmetric nucleonic matter compared to the free Fermi gas model prediction due to the short-range correlation of high-momentum neutron-proton pairs. While keeping the total symmetry energy near the saturation density of nuclear matter consistent with existing experimental constraints, we examine the correspondingly enhanced role of the isospin degree of freedom in heavy-ion collisions at intermediate energies due to the reduced (enhanced) kinetic (potential) symmetry energy. Important observable consequences are investigated.