The behaviour of constrained caloric curves as ultimate signature of a phase transition for hot nuclei

Abstract: Simulations based on experimental data obtained from multifragmenting quasifused nuclei produced in central 129Xe + natSn collisions have been used to deduce event by event freeze-out properties on the thermal excitation energy range 4-12 AMeV. From these properties and temperatures deduced from proton transverse momentum fluctuations constrained caloric curves have been built. At constant average volumes caloric curves exhibit a monotonous behaviour whereas for constrained pressures a backbending is observed. Such results support the existence of a first order phase transition for hot nuclei.