Finite-size scaling phenomenon of nuclear liquid--gas phase transition probes

TL;DR

This study investigates finite-size effects on nuclear liquid-gas phase transition probes using quantum molecular dynamics, establishing relationships between phase transition temperatures, source size, and critical parameters for infinite nuclear matter.

Contribution

It introduces a finite-size scaling analysis of nuclear phase transition probes, extracting critical temperature and exponent for infinite nuclear matter from finite systems.

Findings

Strong correlation between phase transition temperature and source size for certain probes

Finite-size scaling law enables estimation of critical temperature and exponent for infinite nuclear matter

Multiple probes consistently indicate finite-size effects on nuclear phase transition signals

Abstract

Based on the isospin-dependent quantum molecular dynamics model, finite-size scaling effects on nuclear liquid--gas phase transition probes are investigated by studying the de-excitation processes of six thermal sources of different sizes with the same initial density and similar $N/Z$. Using several probes including the total multiplicity derivative ($dM_{tot}/dT$), second moment parameter ($M_2$), intermediate mass fragment (IMF) multiplicity ($N_{IMF}$), Fisher's power-law exponent ($\tau$), and Ma's nuclear Zipf's law exponent ($\xi$), the relationship between the phase transition temperature and the source size has been established. It is observed that the phase transition temperatures obtained from the IMF multiplicity, Fisher's exponent, and Ma's nuclear Zipf's law exponent have a strong correlation with the source size. Moreover, by employing the finite-size scaling law, the critical temperature $T_c$ and the critical exponent $\nu$ have been obtained for infinite nuclear matter.