Eur. Phys. J. A (2006) 30: 65-70
https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/i2006-10106-9

Dynamics and Thermodynamics with Nuclear Degrees of Freedom

Neck dynamics

¹ Laboratori Nazionali del Sud INFN, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Catania, Via S. Sofia 62, I-95123, Italy
² INFN - Sezione di Firenze, Via G. Sansone 1, I-50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
³ Département de physique, de génie physique et d'optique, Université Laval, Cité universitaire, G1K 7P4, Québec, Qc, Canada

^* e-mail: ditoro@lns.infn.it

Received: 28 February 2006
Accepted: 17 July 2006
Published online: 6 October 2006

Abstract

Intermediate-energy heavy-ion reactions produce a mid-rapidity region or neck, mostly in the semiperipheral collisions. Brief theory and experiment surveys are presented. General properties of the mid-rapidity zone are reviewed and discussed in the framework of reaction dynamics. Hierarchy effect, neutron enrichment, isospin diffusion are all new neck phenomena which are surveyed. The main neck observables are also examined, mainly in the context of the symmetry term of the nuclear equation of state.