Evidence for spinodal decomposition in nuclear multifragmentation.
Multifragmentation of a "fused system" was observed for central collisions between 32 MeV/nucleon 129Xe and (nat)Sn. Most of the resulting charged products were well identified due to the high performances of the INDRA 4pi array. Experimental higher-order charge correlations for fragments show a weak but nonambiguous enhancement of events with nearly equal-sized fragments. Supported by dynamical calculations in which spinodal decomposition is simulated, this observed enhancement is interpreted as a "fossil" signal of spinodal instabilities in finite nuclear systems.
Borderie
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B
Institut de Physique Nucléaire, IN2P3-CNRS, F-91406 Orsay Cedex, France.
Tăbăcaru
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Chomaz
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Colonna
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Guarnera
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Rivet
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Auger
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Bacri
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Bellaize
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Bougault
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Bouriquet
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Brou
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Buchet
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Chbihi
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Colin
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Demeyer
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Gerlic
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Guinet
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Hudan
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Lautesse
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Laville
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Lecolley
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Leduc
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Le Neindre
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Lopez
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Louvel
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Maskay
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Normand
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Pawlowski
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Rosato
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Saint-Laurent
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Steckmeyer
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Tamain
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Wieleczko
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