RUI: Probing the Equation of State of Dense Neutron-Rich Matter with High Energy Radioactive Beams at Rare Isotope Accelerator (RIA)

本项目旨在研究与计划中的稀有同位素加速器（RIA）高能放射性束流反应相关的稠密富中子物质状态方程（EOS）的几个关键问题。最终的目标是精确地确定核状态方程的同位旋依赖性。后者是美国核物理最新长期计划中确定的最重要的课题之一。它也是支配中子星和超新星爆炸机制的许多方面的基本性质。这些重要的理论问题包括：对称势的动量依赖性及其对富中子核反应的影响，中子和质子的有效质量及其在稠密富中子物质中的散射截面，稠密富中子物质的不可压缩性，富中子物质的同位旋分离和化学不稳定性，中子和质子在稠密富中子物质中的散射截面。稠密丰中子物质中的电荷对称性破缺和ρ-ω介子混合。此外，还建议发展一个相对论重离子碰撞的玻色-爱因斯坦统计输运理论。一些本科生将充分直接参与拟议的研究。他们参与研究提供了一个广泛而坚实的基础，为他们选择在哪里把他们的职业生涯超越本科学位。因此，该提案的资助将使PI能够更好地为非密集型研究机构的学生做好准备，使他们成为下一代科学家和工程师。这项提案的资金还将进一步改善阿肯色州州立大学和阿肯色州的核物理研究环境和基础设施。

This proposal is to investigate several critical issues concerning the equation of state (EOS) of dense neutron-rich matter relevant to the reactions expected with the high energy radioactive beams at the planned Rare Isotope Accelerator (RIA). The ultimate goal is to determine accurately the isospin dependence of the nuclear EOS. The latter is among the most important topics identified in the latest long-range plan for U.S. nuclear physics. It is also a foundamental property that governs many aspects of neutron stars and the explosion mechanisms of supernove. Among the important theoretical issues to be addressed in the proposed work are: Momentum-dependence of the symmetry potential and its effects on nuclear reactions induced by neutron-rich nuclei at RIA; Effective masses of neutrons and protons and their scattering cross sections in dense neutron-rich matter; Incompressibility of dense neutron-rich matter; Isospin-separation and chemical instabilities of neutron-rich matter; Charge-symmetry-breaking (CSB) and rho-omega meson mixing in dense neutron- rich matter. In addition, it is also proposed to develop a transport theory with Bose-Einstein statistics for relativistic heavy-ion collisions. Several undergraduate students will fully participate directly in the proposed research. Their involvement in research provides a broad and solid basis for their choice of where to take their career beyond the undergraduate degree. The funding of this proposal will thus allow the PI to better prepare students in a research non-intensive institution to become next generation scientists and engineers. Funding of this proposal will also further improve the environment and infrastructure for research in nuclear physics at Arkansas State University in particular and the State of Arkansas in general.