Effect of symmetry energy on twonucleon correlation functions in heavyion collisions indu.pdf

Effects of symmetry energy on two-nucleon correlation functions in heavy-ion collisions induced by neutron-rich nuclei Lie-Wen Chen,1, ∗ Vincenzo Greco,1 Che Ming Ko,1 and Bao-An Li2 1 Cyclotron Institute and Physics Department, Texas AM University, College Station, Texas 77843-3366 2Department of Chemistry and Physics, P.O. Box 419, Arkansas State University, State University, Arkansas 72467-0419 (Dated: February 8, 2008) Using an isospin-dependent transport model, we study the effects of nuclear symmetry energy on two-nucleon correlation functions in heavy ion collisions induced by neutron-rich nuclei. We find that the density dependence of the nuclear symmetry energy affects significantly the nucleon emission times in these collisions, leading to larger values of two-nucleon correlation functions for a symmetry energy that has a stronger density dependence. Two-nucleon correlation functions are 3 thus useful tools for extracting information about the nuclear symmetry energy from heavy ion 0 collisions. 0 2 PACS numbers: 25.70.-z, 25.70.Pq., 24.10.Lx r a M The nuclear symmetry energy is a measure of the dif- state interactions and quantum statistical effects, have ference between the binding energy of an asymmetric nu- been shown to be a sensitive probe to the space-time 2 clear matter and that of a nuclear mat