Dynamical constraints on phase transitions

Abstract

The numerical solutions of nonlocal and local Boltzmann kinetic equations for the simulation of central heavy ion reactions are parameterized in terms of time dependent thermodynamical variables in the Fermi liquid sense. This allows one to discuss dynamical trajectories in phase space. The nonequilibrium state is characterized by non-isobaric, non-isochoric etc. conditions, shortly called iso-nothing conditions. Therefore a combination of thermodynamical observables is constructed which allows one to locate instabilities and points of possible phase transition in a dynamical sense. We find two different mechanisms of instability, a short time surface - dominated instability and later a spinodal - dominated volume instability. The latter one occurs only if the incident energies do not exceed significantly the Fermi energy and might be attributed to spinodal decomposition. In contrast the fast surface explosion occurs far outside the spinodal region and pertains also in the cases where the system develops too fast to suffer a spinodal decomposition and where the system approaches equilibrium outside the spinodal region.