Isospin-sensitive observables as a probe of proton transition momentum in the HMT *

Abstract

Abstract Based on the IBUU transport model, the effect of proton transition momentum on collective flows is studied in 40Ca + 40Ca,112Sn + 112Sn, and 197Au + 197Au collisions at an incident beam energy of 400 MeV/A with impact parameter . It is found that in a neutron rich system, the difference between neutron and proton elliptic flow is largely affected by the proton transition momentum. At beam energies around (and particularly below) the pion production threshold, the ratio is greatly sensitive to proton transition momentum in asymmetric nuclear matter. This study may help us to understand the nucleon momentum distribution in nuclei, which is important for the equation of state of asymmetric nuclear matter, such as neutron stars.