Dynamical instabilities in hot expanding nuclear systems: a microscopic approach to the understanding of multifragmentation

We present a microscopic study of the quasi-fusion/explosion transition in the framework of Landau-Vlasov simulations and for intermediate energy heavy-ion collisions (beam energy from 10 to 100 MeV/A). After a short presentation of the results of schematic calculations, which furnish a guideline for microscopic investigations, we discuss the relevance of our approach for studying multifragmentation. Once the limitations of this kind of dynamical simulations exhibited, we perform a detailed analysis in terms of the equation of state of the system. In agreement with schematic models we find that the composite nuclear system formed in the collision actually explodes when it stays long enough in the mechanically unstable region (spinodal region). Quantitative estimates of the explosion threshold are given for central symmetric reactions (Ca + Ca and Ar + Ti). The link of the results with transport properties and the equation of state of nuclear matter are briefly discussed