Nuclear viscosity estimated by dynamics of neck formation in the early stage of nuclear collision

Abstract

The very early stage of the coalescence of two nuclei is studied and used to estimate the nuclear viscosity. The time evolution of the neck region has been simulated by the unified Langevin equation method, which is used in the analysis of heavy-ion collisions from the approaching stage to the fusion-fission stage. It is found that the transition from viscous to inertial coalescence that appeared in the neck growth of macroscopic drops can also be seen in the present simulation in nucleus–nucleus collisions. The dynamics of neck growth is analyzed in terms of the hydrodynamical formula and the viscosity coefficient of nuclear matter is estimated using the analogy of macroscopic drops.