Negative heat capacity in the critical region of nuclear fragmentation: an experimental evidence of the liquid-gas phase transition

1999/06/07 by M. D'Agostino, F. Gulminelli, Ph. Chomaz +13 · 10 citations
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Physics and Astronomy · #Cold Fusion and Nuclear Reactions #Energy (signal processing) #Event (particle physics) #Excitation #Excited state #Heat capacity #High-Energy Particle Collisions Research #Nuclear physics research studies #Phase (matter) #Phase transition #Specific heat #nucl-ex

paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/s0370-2693(99)01486-0

published as Phys.Lett. B473 (2000) 219-225 · 4 Postscript figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Lett. on 14-apr-1999

arxiv created 1999/06/07 · openalex publication_date 2000/02/01 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

An experimental indication of negative heat capacity in excited nuclear systems is inferred from the event by event study of energy fluctuations in Au quasi-projectile sources formed in Au+Au collisions at 35 A.MeV. The excited source configuration is reconstructed through a calorimetric analysis of its de-excitation products. Fragment partitions show signs of a critical behavior at about 5 A.MeV excitation energy. In the same energy range the heat capacity shows a negative branch providing a direct evidence of a first order liquid gas phase transition.

Citations

• Bose-Einstein Condensation of Atomic Hydrogen

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