Signals of bimodality in the fragmentation of Au quasi-projectiles
arXiv:0804.0205 · doi:10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2008.03.019
Abstract
Signals of bimodality have been investigated in experimental data of quasi-projectile decay produced in Au+Au collisions at 35 AMeV. This same data set was already shown to provide several signals characteristic of a first order, liquid-gas-like phase transition. Different event sortings proposed in the recent literature are analyzed. A sudden change in the fragmentation pattern is revealed by the distribution of the charge of the largest fragment, compatible with a bimodal behavior.
17 pages, 8 figures, submitted to Nuclear Physics A