Momentum dependence of the symmetry potential and nuclear reactions induced by neutron-rich nuclei at RIA

Effects of the momentum dependence of the symmetry potential in nuclear reactions induced by neutron-rich nuclei at Rare Isotope Accelerator (RIA) energies are studied using an isospin- and momentum-dependent transport model. It is found that symmetry potentials with and without the momentum-dependence but corresponding to the same density-dependent symmetry energy Esym(ρ) lead to significantly different predictions on several Esym(ρ)-sensitive experimental observables. The momentum dependence of the symmetry potential is thus critically important for investigating accurately the equation of state and novel properties of dense neutron-rich matter at RIA.