Progress in Collective Flow Studies from the Onset to Bevalac/SIS

Abstract

Collective flow in heavy ion collisions was first observed experimentally more than a decade ago at the Bevalac by the Plastic Ball collaboration. Although early calculations had suggested that measurement of the flow would place tight constraints on the nuclear equation of state, uncertainties in other input parameters of microscopic models, which also affect the flow, led to large ambiguities in the equation of state. This talk will discuss recent flow studies that attempt to overcome these difficulties. The EOS and FOPI experiments at the Bevalac and SIS accelerators have measured flow in the 200–2000A·MeV bombarding energy range with better acceptance, particle identification, and systematics than was previously available. Meanwhile, programs at MSU and GANIL are studying the disappearance of flow around 50A·MeV. Systematic comparison of these data with predictions of microscopic models is beginning to reduce the ambiguities in the extraction of physics quantities. Also, new directions in flow studies, such as the flow of produced particles and radial flow, offer the possibility of further information from flow studies. Recent accomplishments and new directions in flow studies are discussed, and areas where further study is needed are pointed out.