Heavy ions at the LHC: Physics perspectives and experimental program

Ultrarelativisitc heavy ion physics is entering the new era of collider experiments with the start-up of RHIC at BNL and construction for detectors at LHC well under way. At this cross-roads, the article will give a summary of the experimental program and our current view of heavy ion physics at the LHC, concentrating in particular on physics topics that are different or unique compared to current facilities.     

The interfacial surface tension of a quark-gluon plasma fireball in a hadronic medium

We calculate the interfacial surface tension of a QGP-fireball in a hadronic medium in the Ramanathan et al statistical model. The constancy of the ratio of the surface tension with the cube of the critical transition temperature is in overall accordance with lattice QCD findings. It is in complete agreement with a recent MIT bag model calculation of surface tension. The velocity of sound in the QGP droplet is predicted to be in the range (0.27 ± 0.02) times the velocity of light in vacuum and this value is independent of both the value of the transition temperature and the model parameters.      

Positive and negative charged rods alternating along a line: Exact results

The Coulomb system consisting of an equal number of positive and negative charged rods confined to a line with the charges alternating in sign along the line is considered. By replacing the line with a lattice, one can calculate the grand partition function and correlations exactly for one value of the coupling constant. The exact solution exhibits features forbidden in the corresponding continuous system, in which each pair of oppositely charged rods also interact via a short-range repulsive potential, and there is no restriction on the ordering of the charges. The sum rule indicating the phase of the system is identified.     

Nonmetal-to-metal transition in dense fluid helium

The nonmetal-to-metal transition in dense fluid helium is discussed, which has been, in analogy to metallization of hydrogen, predicted as first-order plasma phase transition using chemical models for the equation of state and plasma composition. However, recent ab initio simulations performed for dense fluid helium indicate that this transition is continuous in the considered regime, without a density jump and latent heat as characteristic of a first-order phase transition. Implications for some astrophysical plasmas are discussed.     

On the average distance between particles in the two-dimensional two-component plasma

The asymptotic forms of the average distance of the closest particle to a fixed positive charge, and of the closest particle to the origin, are obtained for the two-dimensional two-component plasma in the low-density limit. The asymptotic forms of the average areas of the corresponding disks formed by the closest particle are also derived. These results are verified at a special coupling where exact results are available.Laboratoire Associé au Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique.     

Influence of helium metastable states on the E-H mode transition in an inductively coupled plasma

A helium (He) inductively coupled plasma (ICP) source combined with two diode laser systems with the wavelengths of 396.5 nm (2¹S–4¹P) and 1082.9 nm (2³S–2³P) was configured to investigate the influence of He metastable states on the E-H mode transition. The population densities of 2¹S and 2³S states were measured by laser absorption spectroscopy as the functions of RF power, He pressure, and the distance from RF antenna. Correlations between the E-H mode transition and the population density ratio of the 2³S metastable state to the 2¹S metastable state as well as the line intensity ratio (LIR) of the 3³D-2³S transition to the 3¹P–2¹S transition were investigated. The E-H mode transition of He ICP was analyzed by the electron impact ionization rate and it was confirmed that the 2³S metastable state plays a key role in the E-H mode transition.     

Phase transitions in hadronic systems and thermodynamics of a system with an exponential spectrum

Both nuclear matter and hadronic matter at high excitations can be described by a liquid-vapor phase transition. For the hadronic systems, a system with an exponential mass spectrum (Hagedorn-like or bag-like) leads to a thermodynamics which is identical to that of a two phase coexistence at a fixed temperature.     

Quark—Gluon Plasma in Equilibrium State

The thermodynamic potential of quark-gluon plasma (QGP) in equilibrium state is calculated by finite temperature QCD. The pressure correction of QGP and the critical temperature correction of deconfinement phase transition of hadron are discussed.     

Charged rods in a periodic background: A solvable model

The one-component Coulomb system with logarithmic potential in a periodic background is considered. In one dimension, when the background has the same period as the average interparticle spacing, the system is exactly solvable for three values of the coupling constant. The exact solution exhibits insulating-conducting phase transitions. An heuristic argument is presented which predicts the phase diagram for this system.     

Structure and phase transition of a two—dimensional dusty plasma

The structure and phase transition of a two-dimensional (2D) dusty plasma have been investigated in detail bymolecular dynamics simulation. Pair correlation function, static structure factor, mean square displacement, and bondangle correlation function have been calculated to characterize the structural properties. The variation of internalenergy, shear modulus, particle trajectories and structural properties with temperature has been monitored to studythe phase transition of the 2D dusty plasma system. The simulation results are in favour of a two-step continuoustransition for this kind of plasma.     

Driving frequency effects on the mode transition in capacitively coupled argon discharges

A one-dimensional fluid model is employed to investigate the discharge sustaining mechanisms in the capacitively coupled argon plasmas, by modulating the driving frequency in the range of 40 kHz-60 MHz. The model incorporates the density and flux balance of electron and ion, electron energy balance, as well as Poisson's equation. In our simulation, the discharge experiences mode transition as the driving frequency increases, from the γ regime in which the discharge is maintained by the secondary electrons emitted from the electrodes under ion bombardment, to the α regime in which sheath oscillation is responsible for most of the electron heating in the discharge sustaining. The electron density and electron temperature at the centre of the discharge, as well as the ion flux on the electrode are figured out as a function of the driving frequency, to confirm the two regimes and transition between them. The effects of gas pressure, secondary electron emission coefficient and applied voltage on the discharge are also discussed.     

Exact results for correlations in a two-component log-gas

A study of the one-dimensional lattice gas of positive and negative charges interacting via the logarithmic potential is continued. The two-particle distribution functions are evaluated exactly at the couplings=2 and 4. It is proved that the=4 isotherm exhibits an insulator-conductor phase transition at the reduced density 1/2, and the scaling behavior of the correlations near this critical point is given. Similarities of the conjectured phase diagram with that of a one-dimensional one-component log-gas in a periodic potential are noted.     

Zero-Density Phase Transition to Quark-Gluon Plasma and the Relativistic Finite Baryon Volume Effect in Hadronic Matter

We examine the role of relativistic finite baryon volume effect in the phase transition between hadronic matter and quark-gluon plasma at vanishing baryon density. It is found that the appearance of abnormal state at high temperature may enhance the baryon-antibaryon excitation, which has large influence on the quark-gluon plasma formation. The numerical results show that the occurence of this phase transition depends on how to extrapolate the nucleon-scalar meson coupling constant to the baryonic resonance-scalar meson coupling.     

Time-resolved spectroscopy for 5s~('4)D_(7/2) state transitions undergoing electron–ion recombination in femtosecond laser-produced copper plasma

In the femtosecond laser-produced Cu-plasma, the transient transition dynamics that the excited state 5s~('4)D_(7/2) via electron–ion recombination transfers to 4p~('4)F_(9/2)~0(465.11 nm, Λ1 line) and 4p~('4)D_(7/2)~0(529.25 nm, Λ_2 line) states are investigated by using the time-resolved spectroscopy. The occupation number and relevant lifetime of the excited state 5s~('4)D_(7/2),the temporal evolutions of spectral intensities for Λ_1 line and Λ_2 line emissions are demonstrated to be in direct proportion to the employed laser intensity, which reveals the transient features of transition dynamics clearly differing from that resulted in the traditional collision excitation. Furthermore, some unique characteristics for Λ_1 and Λ_2 transitions stemming from electron–ion recombination are examined in detail.     

Thermal dynamics-based mechanism for intense laser-induced material surface vaporization

Laser material processing involving welding, ablation and cutting involves interaction of intense laser pulses of nanosecond duration with a condensed phase. Such interaction involving high brightness radiative flux causes multitude of non-linear events involving thermal phase transition at soild-liquid-gas interfaces. A theoretical perspective involving thermal dynamics of the vaporization process and consequent non-linear multiple thermal phase transitions under the action of laser plasma is the subject matter of the present work. The computational calculations were carried out where titanium (Ti) was treated as a condensed medium. The solution to the partial differential equations governing the thermal dynamics and the underlying phase transition event in the multiphase system is based on non-stationary Eulerian variables. The Mach number M depicts significant fluctuations due to thermal instabilities associated with the laser beam flux and intensity. A conclusive amalgamation has been established which relates material surface temperature profile to laser intensity, laser flux and the pressure in the plasma cloud.      

L壳层Al激光等离子体X射线光谱的实验测量和理论计算

在星光Ⅱ激光装置上开展了三倍频激光与铝平面靶相互作用实验,采用平场光栅谱仪获得了铝等离子3～6 nm范围的X射线发射谱。基于准相对多组态理论,考虑组态相互作用和Breit修正,采用Cowan程序计算了铝的L壳层跃迁波长和跃迁几率,辨识了实验测量得到的铝类Li到类B的22条跃迁谱线。研究表明：识别的谱线都是L壳层的2s,2p电子跃迁到了3p,3d等, 甚至更高的壳层,其测量得到跃迁的波长与理论值最大偏差只有0.06 nm。计算得到的振子强度与其它理论结果吻合很好。     

金等离子体中类Ni和类Ga离子跃迁子阵强度比研究

用Cowan 的原子结构从头算程序和SOSA模型计算各阶电离的金离子的能级结构和跃迁过程,在简化的碰撞辐射模型下求解能级布居数方程,计算了给定密度、不同电子温度下的金等离子体的理论合成谱.研究了类Ni和类Ga离子之间的共振线的强度比随电子温度的变化规律,利用这一变化规律可以为等离子体诊断提供辅助的方法.     

Radiative transition of hydrogen-like ions in quantum plasma

At fusion plasma electron temperature and number density regimes of 1?×?10³–1?×?10⁷?K and 1?×?10²⁸–1?×?10³¹/m³, respectively, the excited states and radiative transition of hydrogen-like ions in fusion plasmas are studied. The results show that quantum plasma model is more suitable to describe the fusion plasma than the Debye screening model. Relativistic correction to bound-state energies of the low-Z hydrogen-like ions is so small that it can be ignored. The transition probability decreases with plasma density, but the transition probabilities have the same order of magnitude in the same number density regime.     

Partition function zeros for the one-dimensional ordered plasma in Dirichlet boundary conditions

We consider the grand canonical partition function for the ordered one-dimensional, two-component plasma at fugacity in an applied electric fieldE with Dirichlet boundary conditions. The system has a phase transition from a low-coupling phase with equally spaced particles to a high-coupling phase with particles clustered into dipolar pairs. An exact expression for the partition function is developed. In zero applied field the zeros in the plane occupy the imaginary axis from –i to –i_c and i_c to i for some _c. They also occupy the diamond shape of four straight lines from ±i_c to _c and from ±i_c to –_c. The fugacity acts like a temperature or coupling variable. The symmetry-breaking field is the applied electric fieldE. A finite-size scaling representation for the partition in scaled coupling and scaled electric field is developed. It has standard mean field form. When the scaled coupling is real, the zeros in the scaled field lie on the imaginary axis and pinch the real scaled field axis as the scaled coupling increases. The scaled partition function considered as a function of two complex variables, scaled coupling and scaled field, has zeros on a two-dimensional surface in a domain of four real variables. A numerical discussion of some of the properties of this surface is presented.     

Changes of the electron dynamics in hydrogen inductively coupled plasma

Changes of the electron dynamics in hydrogen （H2） radio-frequency （RF） inductively coupled plasmas are investigated using a hairpin probe and an intensified charged coupled device （ICCD）. The electron density, plasma emission intensity, and input current （voltage） are measured during the E to H mode transitions at different pressures. It is found that the electron density, plasma emission intensity, and input current jump up discontinuously, and the input voltage jumps down at the E to H mode transition points. And the threshold power of the E to H mode transition decreases with the increase of the pressure. Moreover, space and phase resolved optical emission spectroscopic measurements reveal that, in the E mode, the RF dynamics is characterized by one dominant excitation per RF cycle, while in the H mode, there are two excitation maxima within one cycle.