Eur. Phys. J. A (2006) 30: 141-151
https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/i2006-10112-y

Dynamics and Thermodynamics with Nuclear Degrees of Freedom

Instabilities in nuclear matter and finite nuclei

¹ Physics Faculty, Bucharest University and IFIN-HH Bucharest, Romania
² Institut de Physique Nucléaire, Université Paris Sud, F-91406, Orsay CEDEX, France

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

Received: 16 June 2006
Accepted: 17 July 2006
Published online: 31 October 2006

Abstract

Spinodal instability in nuclear matter and finite nuclei is investigated. This instability occurs in the low-density region of the phase diagram. The thermodynamical and dynamical analysis is based on Landau theory of Fermi liquids. It is shown that asymmetric nuclear matter can be characterized by a unique spinodal region, defined by the instability against isoscalar-like fluctuation, as in symmetric nuclear matter. Everywhere in this density region the system is stable against isovector-like fluctuations related to the species separation tendency. Nevertheless, this instability in asymmetric nuclear matter induces isospin distillation leading to a more symmetric liquid phase and a more neutron-rich gas phase.