Nuclear Equation of State: Picture from Medium Energy Heavy Ion Collisions

Abstract

Characteristics of the nuclear equation of state (EOS) and its importance, in particular for astrophysics, are discussed. Selected observables in nuclear collisions are sensitive to the EOS and can be used to constrain it. For central collisions, these include collective flow asymmetries, subthreshold kaon yields and isospin diffusion. Comparisons between the data and transport theory suggest an energy per nucleon that rises relatively slowly with density for symmetric matter and symmetry energy that rises relatively quickly around the normal nuclear density.