SHOCK-WAVES IN A HYDRODYNAMIC MODEL OF CENTRAL HEAVY-ION COLLISIONS

The central, high energy, heavy ion collisions are studied in a hydrodynamic model. We devise an equation of state of the nuclear matter, which contains a phase transition at low densities of the matter, and includes the π-meson production and resonance excitations at high temperatures. Our numerical model calculation of the collision process exhibits two shock waves, propagating both in the target and in the projectile. A broad angular distribution, resulting from our calculation, is essentially insensitive to the parameters of the equation of state. We find that a substantial increase of the cross section for emitting higher energy fragments around 120° lab angle could serve as an experimental proof of the existence of a nuclear shock wave. © 1979.