EFFECTS OF CHARGE-SYMMETRY ON HEAVY-ION REACTION-MECHANISMS

We suggest several possibilities to study the properties of the symmet ry term in the nuclear equation of state from radioactive beam experim ents. Collision simulations with a stochastic transport approach, wher e asymmetry effects are suitably introduced, are presented. The dynami cal response of an interacting highly asymmetric nuclear matter can be studied, taking advantage of the neutron skin structure. The main rea ction mechanisms, from fusion to deep inelastic and fragmentation, app ear quite sensitive to the form of the symmetry term of the effective force used, opening some new appealing experimental perspectives. Fina lly new features of fragment production are presented, due to the onse t of chemical plus mechanical instabilities in dilute asymmetric nucle ar matter.