  The ratio of pre-equilibrium neutrons to protons from collisions of
neutron-rich nuclei is studied as a function of their kinetic energies. This
ratio is found to be sensitive to the density dependence of the nuclear
symmetry energy, but is independent of the compressibility of symmetric nuclear
matter and the in-medium nucleon-nucleon cross sections. The experimental
measurement of this ratio thus provides a novel means for determining the
nuclear equation of state of asymmetric nuclear matter.
