The inversion-asymmetry of particle emission source in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

The inversion-asymmetry of the particle emission source in relativistic heavy-ion collision under the Bertsch-Pratt convention is discussed and explicitly exhibited by a Monte Carlo model. The Gaussian source function popularly used in the HBT analysis of relativistic heavy-ion collisions is invalid in this case. An inversion-asymmetric source function is suggested. A method for extracting the inversion-asymmetry degree of the source together with the source size from experimental data is proposed.     

Directed and elliptic flows in 40Ca + 40Ca and 112Sn + 112Sn collisions

The directed and elliptic flows for different light particles and fragments in collisions of ⁴⁰Ca + ⁴⁰Ca and ¹¹²Sn + ¹¹²Sn at energies from 30MeV/nucleon to 100MeV/nucleon were studied in the isospin-dependent quantum molecule dynamics model (IQMD). With increasing incident energy, the directed flow rises from negative to positive, while the elliptic flow decreases with increasing the incident energies. The directed flow for the ⁴⁰Ca + ⁴⁰Ca system is not sensitive to the nuclear equation of states (EOS), but the directed flow for the ¹¹²Sn + ¹¹²Sn system is sensitive to the EOS. However, the elliptic flows for both ⁴⁰Ca + ⁴⁰Ca and ¹¹²Sn + ¹¹²Sn systems are not sensitive to EOS. A study of the dependence of directed and elliptic flows on the fragment charge (mass) is also performed. Received: 15 March 2002 / Accepted: 14 June 2002 / Published online: 19 November 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: Zhanghy@sinr.ac.cn; Permanent address: Shanghai Institute of Nuclear Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 800-204(2), Shanghai 201800, China. Communicated by W. Henning     

Thermalization of gluons at RHIC: Dependence on initial conditions

We investigate how thermalization of gluons depends on the initial conditions assumed in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions at RHIC. The study is based on simulations employing the pQCD inspired parton cascade solving the Boltzmann equation for gluons. We consider independently produced minijets with p _T > p ₀ = 1.3-2.0GeV and a color glass condensate as possible initial conditions for the freed gluons. It turns out that full kinetic equilibrium is achieved slightly sooner in denser systems and its timescale tends to saturate. Compared with the kinetic equilibration we find a stronger dependence of chemical equilibration on the initial conditions.     

Inclusive meson production in peripheral collisions of ultrarelativistic heavy ions

There exist several proposals to use Weizsäcker-Williams photons generated by ultrarelativistic heavy ions to produce exotic particles in γγ fusion reactions. To estimate the background conditions for such reactions we analyze various mechanisms of meson production in very peripheral collisions of ultrarelativistic heavy ions at RHIC and LHC energies. Besides the γγ fusion they include also electromagnetic γA interactions and strong nucleon-nucleon interactions in grazing AA collisions. All these processes are characterised by low multiplicities of produced particles. The γA an d AA events are simulated by corresponding Monte Carlo codes, RELDIS and FRITIOF. In each of these processes a certain fraction of pions is produced close to the mid-rapidity regionthat gives a background for the γγ events. The possibility of selecting the mesons produced in the γγ fusion events via different p _t cut procedures is demonstrated.     

Pionisation, relativistic lead-lead collisions, and the nature of average phase space density

The average phase space density (APSD) of the particles produced in high energy nuclear collisions at ultrarelativistic energies has here been theoretically estimated on the basis of some particular models for particle production spectra. The model-based values so obtained have been compared with the very recent experimental results in the field on the relevant observable and also with the calculated results obtained by some other models. Based on such comparisons, the present work indicates very strongly that Hagedorn's model has a sound potentiality to achieve a competitive status in its capability to deal with the data on the APSD factor in heavy-ion collisions. The impact and implications of all this have also been emphasised here in the end. Received: 14 November 2000 / Accepted: 19 April 2001     

Direct comparison of phase-space distributions of K- and K+ mesons in heavy-ion collisions at SIS energies -- evidence for in-medium modifications of kaons?

The ratio of K^- to K⁺-meson yields has been measured in the systems ⁹⁶Ru + ⁹⁶Ru at 1.69 A GeV, ⁹⁶Ru+⁹⁶Zr at 1.69 A GeV, and ⁵⁸Ni+⁵⁸Ni at 1.93 A GeV incident beam kinetic energy. The yield ratio is observed to vary across the measured phase space. Relativistic transport-model calculations indicate that the data are best understood if in-medium modifications of the kaons are taken into account. Received: 30 November 1998 / Accepted: 20 December 2000     

Phenomenology of the Λ/Σproduction ratio in pp collisions

We show that the recently measured asymmetry in helicity-angle spectra of the Λ-hyperons, produced in the reaction pp → K ⁺Λp reaction, and the energy dependence of the total pp → K ⁺Λp cross-section can be explained consistently by the same Λp final-state interaction. Assuming that there is no final-state interaction in the Σ⁰ p channel, as suggested by the available data for the reaction pp → K ⁺Σ⁰ p, we can also reproduce the energy dependence of the Λ/Σ⁰ production ratio and, in particular, the rather large ratio observed near the reaction thresholds. The nominal ratio of the Λ and Σ⁰ production amplitudes squared, i.e. when disregarding the final-state interaction, turns out to be about 3, which is in line with hyperon production data from proton and nuclear targets available at high energies.     

Prompt contributions to the dilepton yield in heavy ion collisions

The mass spectrum is calculated for those dileptons which are produced in the early phase of a heavy ion collisions via the direct production NN → l⁺l⁻X and via the Compton process GN → l⁺l⁻X with prompt gluons radiated in preceding NN interactions. Both mechanisms produce a mass spectrum which decreases steeply with invariant mass of the l⁺l⁻ pair and which is below the CERES data for Pb-Au collisions by about one order of magnitude. Received: 1 December 1999 / Revised version: 18 February 2000     

Multiparticle correlations in resonance-matter formation

The effect of multiparticle correlations on resonance and pion populations, in relativistic nuclear reactions, is calculated in the context of an intranuclear cascade model which includes N-body (N > 2) collisional processes. The resonance-matter population present in the highly-compressed phase of nucleus-nucleus collisions is investigated, in reactions between different intermediate-mass nuclear systems. Received: 29 December 1998 / Revised version: 20 December 1999     

Hadron production and phase changes in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

We study soft hadron production in relativistic heavy-ion collisions in a wide range of reaction energy, 4.8 GeV < < 200 GeV, and make predictions about yields of particles using the statistical hadronization model. In fits to experimental data, we obtain both the statistical parameters as well as physical properties of the hadron source. We identify the properties of the fireball at the critical energy threshold, 6.26 GeV < < 7.61 GeV, marking for higher energies the hadronization of an entropy-rich phase. In terms of the chemical composition, one sees a phase which at low energy is chemically under-saturated, and which turns into a chemically over-saturated state persisting up to the maximum accessible energy. Assuming that there is no change in physical mechanisms in the energy range 15 > ≥200 GeV, we use continuity of particle yields and statistical parameters to predict the hadron production at = 62.4 GeV, and obtain total yields of hadrons at = 130 GeV. We consider, in depth, the pattern we uncover within the hadronization condition, and discuss possible mechanisms associated with the identified rapid change in system properties at . We propose that the chemically over-saturated 2 + 1 flavor hadron matter system undergoes a 1st-order phase transition.     

Probing meson spectral functions with double differential dilepton spectra in heavy-ion collisions

The double differential dilepton spectrum d/(d ² d _⊥ ²) at fixed transverse mass M _⊥ allows a direct access to the vector meson spectral functions. Within a fireball model the sensitivity of d/(d ² d _⊥ ²) against variations of both the in-medium properties of mesons and the dynamics of the fireball is investigated. In contrast to the integrated invariant-mass spectrum d/d ², in the spectrum d/(d ² d _⊥ ²) with fixed M _⊥ the ω signal is clearly seen as bump riding on the ρ background even in case of strong in-medium modifications.[3mm] Received: 16 November 2000 / Accepted: 16 January 2001     

The renormalon contribution to the current product j μ5 j S

The product of an axialvector and a scalar current and its relation to the chiral-odd distribution function h ₁ is discussed in the framework of the renormalon approach. Using a bag-model calculation for h ₁, we calculate its intrinsic uncertainty due to renormalon poles. The result is given as a function of Bjorken-x as well as for the first moments separately. Received: 9 November 1998 / Revised version: 22 January 1999     

Peculiarities of isotopic temperatures obtained from p + A collisions at 1 GeV

Nuclear temperatures were extracted from fragment yields obtained in inclusive measurements of p+A collisions at 1 GeV. All thermometers based on double-isotopic yield-ratios provide temperatures T ≃ 4 MeV nearly independent on the target mass.     

New data on the p + N → [Σ0K+] + N reaction at E p= 70 GeV and the search for exotic baryons

New data for the diffractive reaction p+N→ [Σ⁰ K ⁺] +N at E _p= 70 GeV were obtained with partially upgraded SPHINX setup. The data are in a good agreement with the results of our previous study of this reaction. In the mass spectrum M(Σ⁰ K ⁺) a structure at the threshold region with a mass ∼1810 MeV and a distinct X(2000) peak with M= 1989 ± 6 MeV and γ= 91 ± 20 MeV are observed. Unusual features of the massive X(2000) state (narrow decay width, anomalously large branching ratio for the decay channel with strange particle emission) make it a serious candidate for cryptoexotic pentaquark baryon with hidden strangeness |qqqsˉs>. We also present new results on the narrow threshold structure X(1810) with M= 1807 ± 7 MeV and γ= 62 ± 19 MeV which is produced in the region of very small P ² _T < 0.01 GeV². The possibility of the Coulomb production mechanism for X(1810) is discussed. Received: 28 April 1999     

Calorimetry

Methods for determining the heat content E ^*/A of hot nuclei formed in energetic nuclear reactions are discussed. The primary factors involved in converting raw data into thermal physics distributions include: 1) design of the detector array, 2) constraints imposed by the physics of the reaction mechanism, and 3) assumptions involved in converting the filtered data into E ^*/A. The two primary sources of uncertainty in the calorimetry are the elimination of nonequilibrium emissions from the event components and accounting for the contribution of neutron emission to the excitation energy sum.     

Rapidity equilibration in d + Au and Au + Au systems

In a Relativistic Diffusion Model (RDM), the evolution of net-proton rapidity spectra with in heavy systems is proposed as an indicator for local equilibration and longitudinal expansion. The broad midrapidity valley recently discovered at RHIC in central Au + Au collisions at = 200 GeV suggests rapid local equilibration which is most likely due to deconfinement, and fast longitudinal expansion. Rapidity spectra of produced charged hadrons in d + Au and Au + Au systems at RHIC energies and their centrality dependence are well described in a three-sources RDM. In central collisions, about 19% of the produced particles are in the equilibrated midrapidity region for d + Au.     

Chiral Invariant Phase Space model

The CHIPS (CHiral Invariant Phase Space) model is used for approximation of the Drell-Yan process in hadron-nucleon interactions. It is proved that the Drell-Yan cross-section at low p _T ² is a function of only x₁ and x₂ and does not evolve as a function of the squared mass of the lepton pair M². The CHIPS model predicts that the Drell-Yan structure functions evolve as a function of p _T ² . This p _T ² evolution can be measured in experiments at RHIC and LHC.     

Thermal multifragmentation in p + Au interactions at 2.16, 3.6 and 8.1 GeV incident energies

Multiple emission of intermediate-mass fragments has been studied for the collisions p + Au at 2.16, 3.6 and 8.1 GeV with the FASA setup. The mean IMF multiplicities for events with at least one IMF are equal to 1.7, 1.9 and 2.1 (±0.2) respectively. The multiplicity, charge distributions and kinetic energy spectra of IMF are described in the framework of a intranuclear cascade model followed by the statistical multifragmentation model. However, between the two parts of the calculation the excitation energies and the residual masses and charges are modified to take into account the losses during expansion. The results support a scenario of true thermal multifragmentation of a hot and expanded target spectator. Received: 15 December 1997 / Revised version: 24 April 1998     

Dilepton production in pp and CC collisions with HADES

e ⁺ e ^- production was studied using the High Acceptance DiElectron Spectrometer (HADES). In pp collisions at 2.2GeV kinetic beam energy, the exclusive η production and the Dalitz decay η→γe ⁺ e ^- have been reconstructed. The electromagnetic form factor of the latter decay was found to be in good agreement with the existing theoretical predictions. In addition, an inclusive e ⁺ e ^- invariant-mass spectrum from the ¹²C + ¹²C reaction at 2AGeV is presented and compared with a simplified thermal model.