Phase transition in warm nuclear matter with alternative derivative coupling models

An analysis is performed of the liquid-gas phase transition of nuclear matter obtained from different versions of scalar derivate coupling suggested by Zimanyi and Moszkowski (ZM) and the results are compared with those obtained from the Walecka model. We present the phase diagram for the models and one of them, the ZM3 model, has the lowest critical temperature T{sub c}=13.6thinspMeV with the lowest critical density {rho}{sub c}=0.037thinspfm{sup {minus}3} and pressure p{sub c}=0.157thinspMeVthinspfm{sup {minus}3}. These results are in accordance with recent observations from energetic heavy-ion collisions, which suggest a small liquid-gas phase region. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}