Global variables and impact parameter determination in nucleus-nucleus collisions below 100 MeV/u

Several global variables are tested for determining the impact parameter in 4π measurements of charged products. For the system Ar + Al from 25 to 85 MeV/u, simulated reactions are used to study the correlation between the real impact parameter value and the experimentally determined one. Even with a perfect detector, the total multiplicity and the mid-rapidity charge give a poor correlation. Filtering through the acceptance of an actual detector (Mur + Tonneau at GANIL) provides a poor correlation with the total charge, and an acceptable one with the total perpendicular momentum. The average (mass weighted) parallel velocity V av gives the best correlation and is less sensitive to the incident energy and to the mechanisms used in the simulation. Measurements extending to very forward angles are needed to accurately sort events by impact parameter. Real data are used to study the variation of other global variables versus V av : they exhibit the expected average trend, with broad fluctuations. The eccentricity and flow angle allow the evolution of central reactions with the incident energy to be followed. The proportion of relative motion transformed into energy perpendicular to the beam direction decreases when the incident energy increases; its absolute value, however, doubles from 25 to 65 MeV/u. In experimental studies where good separation between participant (pre-equilibrium) and spectator (equilibrium) particles is wanted in addition to good impact parameter sorting, the projectile mass should be in the range 1.2–2.5 times the target mass.