Abstract
High energy heavy-ion collisions are proposed as a novel means to constrain stringently the high density (HD) behavior of nuclear symmetry energy. Within an isospin-dependent hadronic transport model, it is shown for the first time that the isospin asymmetry of the HD nuclear matter formed in high energy heavy-ion collisions is uniquely determined by the HD behavior of the nuclear symmetry energy. Experimental signatures in two sensitive probes, i.e., to ratio and neutron-proton differential collective flow, are also investigated.
- Received 14 December 2001
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.88.192701
©2002 American Physical Society