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P Chomaz

Publications and source records attributed to P Chomaz.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Topology of event distributions as a generalized definition of phase transitions in finite systems.

We propose a definition of first order phase transitions in finite systems based on topology anomalies of the event distribution in the space of observations. This generalizes the definitions based on the curvature anomalies of thermodynamical potentials, provides a natural definition of order parameters, and can be related to the Yang-Lee theorem in the thermodynamical limit. It is directly operational from the experimental point of view. It allows to study phase transitions in Gibbs equilibria as well as in other ensembles such as the Tsallis ensemble.

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Evidence for spinodal decomposition in nuclear multifragmentation.

Multifragmentation of a "fused system" was observed for central collisions between 32 MeV/nucleon 129Xe and (nat)Sn. Most of the resulting charged products were well identified due to the high performances of the INDRA 4pi array. Experimental higher-order charge correlations for fragments show a weak but nonambiguous enhancement of events with nearly equal-sized fragments. Supported by dynamical calculations in which spinodal decomposition is simulated, this observed enhancement is interpreted as a "fossil" signal of spinodal instabilities in finite nuclear systems.

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Quantum calculation of the dipole excitation in fusion reactions.

The excitation of the giant dipole resonance induced by fusion reaction is studied with N/Z asymmetry in the entrance channel. The time dependent Hartree-Fock solution exhibits a strong dipole vibration which can be associated with a giant vibration along the main axis of the deformed compound nucleus. This dipole motion appears to be nonlinearly coupled to the shape oscillation, leading to a strong modulation of its frequency. These phenomena can be detected in the gamma-ray emission from hot compound nuclei.

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Caloric curves and energy fluctuations in the microcanonical liquid-Gas phase transition

In this paper we study a microcanonical lattice gas model with a constrained average volume. We show that the caloric curve explicitly depends on the considered transformation of the volume with the excitation energy and so does not bear direct information on the characteristics of the phase transition. Conversely, partial energy fluctuations are demonstrated to be a direct measure of the equation of state. Since the heat capacity has a negative branch in the phase transition region, the presence of abnormally large kinetic energy fluctuations is a signal of the liquid-gas phase transition.

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