Constraints on the nuclear Equation of State from heavy ion reaction dynamics

Abstract

Heavy ion collisions allow one to create and explore, in laboratory experiments, transient states of nuclear matter under several conditions of density, temperature and charge asymmetry. The complex manybody dynamics is suitably described by transport theories which employ effective interactions, thus connecting fundamental nuclear ingredients to sensitive observables of experimental interest. We review here recent analyses which allow to constrain, in particular, the controversial density behavior of the symmetry energy of the nuclear Equation of State, also outlining future perspectives.