Effect of neutron skin thickness on projectile fragmentation

TL;DR

This study investigates how the thickness of the neutron skin in calcium isotopes affects projectile fragmentation and isoscaling behavior, suggesting possible methods to extract neutron skin information from fragment observables.

Contribution

It demonstrates a linear relationship between neutron skin thickness and isoscaling parameter and N/Z ratio of projectile-like fragments, providing a new approach to probe neutron skin properties.

Findings

Thicker neutron skin reduces the isoscaling parameter $oldsymbol{}$ and N/Z ratio.

Linear dependence of $oldsymbol{}$ on neutron skin thickness.

Linear correlation between neutron skin thickness and mean N/Z of fragments.

Abstract

The fragment production in collisions of $^{48,50}$Ca+$^{12}$C at 50 MeV/nucleon are simulated via the Isospin-Dependent Quantum Molecular Dynamics (IQMD) model followed by the {GEMINI code}. {By changing the diffuseness parameter of neutron density distribution to obtain different neutron skin size, the effects of neutron skin thickness (${\delta}_{np}$) on projectile-like fragments (PLF) are investigated. The sensitivity of isoscaling behavior to neutron skin size is studied, from which it is found that the isoscaling parameter $\alpha$ has a linear dependence on ${\delta}_{np}$. A linear dependence between ${\delta}_{np}$ and the mean $N/Z$ [N(Z) is neutron(proton) number] of PLF is obtained as well.} The results show that thicker neutron skin will lead to smaller {isoscaling parameter} $\alpha$ and N/Z. Therefore, it may be probable to extract information of neutron skin thickness from {isoscaling parameter} $\alpha$ and N/Z.