Analyzing Fragmentation of Simple Fluids with Percolation Theory

Xavier Campi ¹, Hubert Krivine ¹, Nicolas Sator ¹, Eric Plagnol ²

European Physical Journal D 11 (2000) 233-238

We show that the size distributions of fragments created by high energy nuclear collisions are remarkably well reproduced within the framework of a parameter free percolation model. We discuss two possible scenarios to explain this agreement and suggest that percolation could be an universal mechanism to explain the fragmentation of simple fluids.

• 1. Laboratoire de Physique Théorique et Modèles Statistiques (LPTMS),
  CNRS : UMR8626 – Université Paris XI – Paris Sud
• 2. Institut de Physique Nucléaire d’Orsay (IPNO),
  CNRS : UMR8608 – IN2P3 – Université Paris XI – Paris Sud