Isospin relaxation time in heavy-ion collisions at intermediate energies

Using an isospin-dependent transport model, we have studied the isospin and momentum relaxation times in the heavy residues formed in heavy-ion collisions at intermediate energies. It is found that only at incident energies below the Fermi energy can chemical or thermal equilibrium be reached before dynamical instability is developed in the heavy residues. Also, the isospin relaxation time is shorter (longer) than that for momentum at beam energies lower (higher) than the Fermi energy.