Speaker
Description
Understanding the effects of short-range nucleon-nucleon correlations (SRC), fluctuations when nucleons form pairs with high relative momentum and small center of mass momentum for short periods of time, is an important ingredient in theoretical models to understand the density dependence of symmetry energy at both sub and supra saturation densities. Characteristics and properties of SRCs have historically been investigated at GeV scale energies. Recent theoretical calculations of lower intermediate energy heavy ion collisions have shown that signatures of SRC may be observed. We have analyzed energy spectra of protons at forward angles in intermediate energy heavy ion reactions of various projectile target combinations. We show that this analysis indicates evidence of observation of high momentum tails at these intermediate energies and shows a dependence on projectile energy as well as the mass/charge asymmetry of projectile and target. We also present data from recent experiments using position sensitive silicon detectors showing high resolution correlation measurements.