Dynamics of dilute nuclear matter with light clusters and in-medium effects

Abstract

We investigate the dynamics of dilute systems composed of nucleons and light clusters within a linear response approach, taking into account the in-medium Mott effects on cluster appearance, through a density-dependent momentum cut-off. We find that spinodal instabilities and associated growth rates are severely affected by the presence of light clusters and, in particular, by the treatment of in-medium effects, foreshadowing intriguing consequences for fragment formation in heavy-ion collisions and in the broader astrophysical context.