Pion shadowing as a tool to study the topology of heavy-ion collisions at intermediate energies

The pion reabsorption effect has been exploited, through a new analysis technique, to study the topological distribution of nuclear matter in the course of a heavy-ion collision at intermediate energies. The azimuthal angular distribution of pions with respect to the reaction plane and the angular correlations between pions and projectilelike fragments have been investigated. Quantitative estimations of the pion production time scale and of the impact parameter range involved are provided. The experimental results are successfully compared with the predictions of a microscopic theoretical model based on the solution of the Boltzmann-Nordheim-Vlasov transport equation. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}