THERMOSTATIC PROPERTIES OF HOT NUCLEAR SYSTEMS WITH A FINITE-RANGE FORCE

The properties of hot nuclear matter and hot finite nuclei are investigated in the framework of temperature-dependent Hartree-Fock theory using a finite-range Brink-Boeker effective interaction. The equation of state for asymmetric infinite nuclear matter is obtained and then used to calculate the critical temperature for the liquidgas phase transition, the phase separation temperature, the stability temperature and the compression modulus. The variation of these properties with asymmetry and temperature is studied. It has an important bearing on the gravitational collapse of stars where the asymmetry increases due to the capture of electrons by the interior protons under pressure. The thermostatic properties of finite nuclei are also investigated by calculating the limiting temperature, which is the maximum temperature up to which a nucleus can sustain and remain a self-bound system. The present calculation being realistic, its result can be compared with experiment. In general, it agrees with the maximum temperature measured experimentally for a compound nucleus produced in fusion reactions.