System size in relativistic heavy ion collisions

System size is more than a geometrical quantity in relativistic heavy ion collisions; it is closely related to evolution process, i.e. a different system size corresponds to a different evolution process, and whether QGP is produced depends on the system size. We propose that the system size should be under the same level when comparing the measurements from different colliding nuclei. The equivalence of the peripheral collisions of Au-Au and the central collisions of smaller nuclei is studied using the Monte Carlo method. Comparing the transverse overlapping area of the colliding nuclei, the number of participant nucleons and the number of nucleon-nucleon binary collisions in various colliding nuclei, we give an estimate of the correspondence in system size. This is helpful in the experimental comparison of the measurements from different colliding nuclei.     

Mass number scaling in ultra-relativistic nuclear collisions from a hydrodynamical approach

We study the different nucleus-nucleus collisions, O+Au, S+S, S+Ag, S+Au and Pb+Pb, at the CERN-SPS energy in a one-fluid hydrodynamical approach using a parametrization based on baryon stopping in terms of the thickness of colliding nuclei. Good agreement with measured particle spectra is achieved. We deduce the mass number scaling behaviour of the initial energy density. We find that the equilibration time is nearly independent of the size of the colliding nuclei. Received: 23 January 1998 / Revised version: 8 May 1998 / Published online: 12 August 1998     

A microscopic calculation of fragment formation in nucleus-nucleus collisions

A microscopic model using effective and free nucleon-nucleon scattering cross sections is used to calculate the yields of projectile-like fragments from nucleus-nucleus collisions from 20 MeV/A to 2 GeV/A. Good agreement with reaction cross-section and fragment cross-section measurements is obtained. The enhanced yields of neutron-rich fragments observed experimentally at low beam energies from collisions of projectiles with heavy targets are reproduced somewhat better by the inclusion of a neutron-rich surface on the heavy-target nuclei. Each fragment mass is produced in a strongly localized region of the distance of closest approach between the colliding nuclei; lighter fragments come from small distances and the heavier ones from more peripheral collisions.     

Quark-gluon plasma formation in the central rapidity region and finite size effects of colliding nuclei

The energy density of the central products in the ultra-relativistic heavy ion collisions are calculated. In our estimation, the special attention is paid to the space-time extension of the emission points of the secondary hadrons which are originate in the successive nucleon-nucleon interactions within the finite size of colliding nuclei. The average collision number per produced particle, in the final state interaction, is also calculated and is used as a criterion whether the system is thermalized or not. It turns out that the attainable energy density in the central heavy ion collision is sensitive to the spacetime extension of the emission points. However, if the incident energy and the mass numbers of colliding nuclei are high and large, we can get high enough energy density for the phase transition from a hadronic state to a quark-gluon plasma state.     

Fission and fragmentation of 208Pb nuclei in collisions with gold nuclei at an energy of 158 GeV per nucleon

The fission and fragmentation of ultrarelativistic ²⁰⁸Pb nuclei in collisionswith gold nuclei were studied by using a beam from the SPS accelerator at CERN at an energy of 158 GeV per nucleon. The detectors of the target area of the NA45/CERES spectrometer were used in respective measurements. The value obtained for the fission cross section is 301 ± 44 mb, where about 77% of events stem from the electromagnetic interaction of colliding nuclei, while the remaining part is the contribution of peripheral nuclear interactions. The spallation of lead nuclei that involves the formation of heavy fragments occurs only in collisions where the impact parameter satisfies the condition b > 10 fm. A complete disintegration of lead nuclei to intermediate-mass fragments and light particles is observed in some peripheral collisions.     

Influence of momentum-dependent interactions on balance energy and mass dependence⋆

We aim to understand the role of momentum-dependent interactions in transverse flow as well as in its disappearance. For the present study, central collisions involving masses between 24 and 394 are considered. We find that the momentum-dependent interactions have different impact in lighter colliding nuclei compared to heavier colliding nuclei. In lighter nuclei, the contribution of the mean field towards flow is smaller compared to heavier nuclei where binary nucleon-nucleon collisions dominate the scene. The inclusion of momentum-dependent interactions also explains the energy of the vanishing flow in the ¹²C + ¹²C reaction which otherwise was not possible with the static hard equation of state. An excellent agreement of our theoretical attempt is found for balance energy with experimental data throughout the periodic table.     

Intermolecular interactions of benzene and carbon tetrachloride with selected free radicals in solution as studied by 13C and 1H dynamic nuclear polarization

Intermolecular hyperfine coupling between ¹³C nuclei and free-radical unpaired electron spins has been examined for six combinations of three free radicals and two solvent molecules. From magnetic field and temperature-dependent dynamic nuclear polarization measurements, scalar and dipolar coupling contributions have been separated. Interpretation of these results in terms of a modified diffusion model revealed scalar spectral density functions with two or three frequency components, each characterized by a distinct contact time. Collisions with the shortest time constant were found to be nearly independent of the system and accounted for approximately 90 per cent of all radical-receptor collisions and 30 per cent of the scalar relaxation rate. These have been related to random elastic collisions. In contrast, collisions with long contact times were found to be highly system dependent. Although few in number, they accounted for a relatively large fraction of the scalar relaxation rate because of their long duration. These have been interpreted as stereospecific collisions which reflect the tendency of the colliding partners to form weak transient complexes. Lastly, relative scalar coupling energies were obtained and related to the availability of the unpaired electron and to the structure of both colliding molecules.     

Jet measurements by ALICE at LHC

Jets are collimated sprays of particles originating from fragmentation of high energy partons produced in a hard collision. They are an important diagnostic tool in studies of the Quark Gluon Plasma (QGP). The modification of the jet fragmentation pattern and its structure is a signature for the influence of hot and dense matter on the parton fragmentation process. Jet measurements in proton-proton collisions provide a baseline for similar measurements in heavy-ion collisions, while studies in proton-nucleus system allow to estimate cold nuclear matter effects. Here we present jet studies in different colliding systems (p–p, p–Pb, Pb–Pb) performed by the ALICE collaboration at LHC energies. Results on jet spectra, cross sections, nuclear modification factors, jet structure and other kinematic observables will be presented.     

Multi-Boson correlations and classical transport models

We add the multi-particle Bose-Einstein correlations to classical simulations of ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions and calculate their influence on various observables such as multiplicity distributions, single-particle spectra and two-particle correlation functions. We demonstrate the method using simulations of ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions within a parton-string model for different systems of colliding nuclei at initial energy 200 AGeV.     

Allowance for the orientation of colliding ions in describing the synthesis of heavy nuclei

The dynamical model proposed earlier for describing fusion-fission reactions was modified in order to take into account an arbitrary orientation of colliding ions. In this model, the evolution of collective coordinates of the system under study is treated as a two-stage process. The motion of the projectile nucleus toward the target nucleus is considered at the first stage, and the evolution of a continuous dinuclear system formed as soon as the projectile and target nuclei touch each other is calculated at the second stage. At either stage of the calculation, the dynamical evolution of the system is described in terms of Langevin equations. The shell structure of the nuclei involved is taken into account at both stages. The difference between the results obtained for the first stage with allowance for an arbitrary orientation of colliding ions and the respective results for the case where their symmetry axes are aligned are discussed. The cross sections for the touching of primary nuclei and for their fusion are calculated, along with the cross sections for evaporation-residue formation in reactions involving nuclei that are prolate and spherical in the ground state. The results are compared with available theoretical and experimental data.     

中子晕核引起核反应中的同位旋效应

利用同位旋相关的量子分子动力学(IQMD)对中子晕核，⁸He和¹⁰He引起核反应中重要的同位旋效应和松散的中子晕结构影响的平均特征进行了研究.因为IQMD中的互作用势和介质中核子-核子碰撞截面灵敏地依赖于碰撞系统的密度分布.而扩展的中子晕密度分布包含了中子晕核的同位旋效应和松散的中子晕结构的平均特征，从而将这些信息通过动力学碰撞带入到反应机理中. 为了清楚地鉴别中子晕核带入反应机理重要的同位旋效应和松散中子晕结构的影响，通过比较中子晕核和相等质量稳定弹核在相同入射道条件下，所得物理观测量之间的差别加以确定.计算结果确实发现具有初始晕核信息的中子扩展密度分布将重要的同位旋效应和松散中子晕结构带入到各种物理观测量中.例如与相等质量稳定相比，中子晕核的晕特征引起了原子核阻止的降低；并明显地增加了核子发射中子-质子比和同位旋分馏比. 关键词： 中子晕核 原子核阻止 核子发射中子-质子比 同位旋分馏比     

Status of the chiral magnetic effect and collisions of isobars

In this review, we examine the current theoretical and experimental status of the chiral magnetic effect.We discuss possible future strategies for resolving uncertainties in interpretation including recommendations for theoretical work, recommendations for measurements based on data collected in the past five years, and recommendations for beam use in the coming years of RHIC. We specifically investigate the case for colliding nuclear isobars(nuclei with the same mass but different charge) and find the case compelling. We recommend that a program of nuclear isobar collisions to isolate the chiral magnetic effect from background sources be placed as a high priority item in the strategy for completing the RHIC mission.     

J/Ψ measurement in p+p, d+Au and Au+Au collisions by the PHENIX experiment at RHIC

J/Ψ’s are produced mostly via interactions involving gluons, and are a sensitive probe of the gluon structure function and its modification in nuclei. They are also considered as a leading signal for studying the creation of hot and dense matter in relativistic heavy ion collision. Measurement of J/Ψ production in different colliding systems is important for understanding the nuclear modification factor, and setting a baseline for the study of J/Ψ suppression in heavy ion collisions. In this talk we report the latest results on J/Ψ measurements by the PHENIX experiment at RHIC in p+p; d+Au, and Au+Au collisions at backward, forward, and mid-rapidity. Nuclear effects are studied as a function of transverse momentum, rapidity and centrality.     

Quasi-elastic and deep-inelastic dissipative processes

Quasi-elastic and deep inelastic rates are calculated assuming that the colliding nuclei move on classical trajectories and that the excitations and the particle or energy exchanges are due to the shell-model wells interacting with the nucleons. (One-body collisions). This allows a microscopic, parameter free, calculation of the optical potential, as well as the energy and the angular momentum losses, and is a good approximation as long as the collision is peripheral. The correction due to two-body collisions between individual nucleons is also evaluated. The focus will be on the evolution of the various reaction rates as a function of energy. The system chosen for the discussion is ¹⁶O + ¹⁶O from 3 MeV/A to 60 MeV/A.     

New results on relativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions and plans for their future studies

A comparative analysis of the results of the most recent experiments devoted to studying collisions of high-energy nuclei at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), and Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) is performed. It is shown that, despite a significant amount of experimental data, conditions necessary for the phase transition from normal to quark-gluon matter have not yet been determined. New experiments planned for the near future that are intended to cover a broad interval of energies of colliding nuclei of different mass with the aim of studying phase transitions in nuclear matter are discussed.     

Chaotic fragmentation of nuclei

The reaction mechanisms for intermediate energy heavy ion collisions are discussed. A simple analytical statistical model for multifragmentation of the colliding nuclei is presented.