Eur. Phys. J. A (2004) 22: 261-269
https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/i2003-10237-5

Light clusters in nuclear matter of finite temperature

¹ Fachbereich Physik, Universität Rostock, D-18051, Rostock, Germany
² Institut de Physique Nucléaire, F-91406, Orsay Cedex, France
³ Physics Department, University of South Africa, 0003, Pretoria, South Africa

^* e-mail: michael.beyer@uni-rostock.de

Received: 23 October 2003
Accepted: 3 June 2004
Published online: 3 November 2004

Abstract

We investigate properties and the distribution of light nuclei (A≤4) in symmetric nuclear matter of finite temperature within a microscopic framework. For this purpose we have solved few-body Alt-Grassberger-Sandhas-type equations for quasi-nucleons that include self-energy corrections and Pauli blocking in a systematic way. In a statistical model we find a significant influence in the composition of nuclear matter if medium effects are included in the microscopic calculation of nuclei. If multiplicities are frozen out at a certain time (or volume), we expect significant consequences for the formation of light fragments in a heavy ion collision. As a consequence of the systematic inclusion of medium effects, the ordering of multiplicities becomes opposite to the law-of-mass action of ideal components. This is necessary to explain the large abundance of α-particles in a heavy ion collision that are otherwise largely suppressed in an ideal equilibrium scenario.