Contribution of Nuclear Potential in Isobaric Pair Fragmentation

G.S.S.D.G.S. Khalsa College, Patiala - 147001, Punjab, India

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Published online: 13 May 2026

Abstract

The influence of different components of nuclear interaction potential on the fragmentation of isobaric pairs with varying neutron-to-proton (N/Z) ratios is investigated within the framework of Isospin-dependent Quantum Molecular Dynamics (IQMD) model. Specifically, the effects of Coulomb, momentum-dependent, and symmetry potentials on the production of light charged particles (LCPs) and intermediate mass fragments (IMFs) in isobaric pair collisions are analyzed. To examine system mass dependence, central collisions of five sets of reactions- ²³Ne+²³Ne, ⁷⁴Ge+⁷⁴Ge ¹⁰²Ru+¹⁰²Ru, ¹²⁴Xe+¹²⁴Xe, ¹⁴⁴Sm+¹⁴⁴Sm are simulated at 50 MeV/nucleon with a fixed N/Z ratio. The results indicate that nuclear interaction potential effects intensify in heavier nuclei as compared to lighter nuclei, primarily due to enhanced Coulomb repulsion and momentum-dependent interactions. To further explore the energy dependence and isospin effects, isobaric pairs of heavier systems (A_tot = 248) are investigated by systematically varying the N/Z ratios. The multiplicity of LCPs increases monotonically with energy due to stronger NN scattering, whereas IMFs exhibit the characteristic rise- and-fall trend. Additionally, the spatial distribution of fragment production is correlated with the momentum distribution of same fragments, reflecting the degree of nuclear stopping. This study provides valuable insights into the reaction dynamics of neutron-rich systems and demonstrates that incorporating different components of the nuclear potential is essential for developing a more realistic and comprehensive description of heavy-ion fragmentation.