Forward a production and nuclear stopping power in d+Au collisions at RHIC

Using the forward time projection chambers of STAR we measure the centrality dependent A and ā yields in d+Au collisions at √s _NN =200 GeV at forward and backward rapidities. The contributions of different processes to particle production and baryon transport are probed exploiting the inherent asymmetry of the d+Au system. While the d side appears to be dominated by multiple independent nucleon-nucleon collisions, nuclear effects contribute significantly on the Au side. Using the constraint of baryon number conservation, the rapidity loss of baryons in the incoming deuteron can be estimated as a function of centrality. This is compared to a model and to similar measurements in Au+Au, which gives insights into the nuclear stopping power at relativistic energies.     

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.     

Cross-Sections,Rate Constants and Transport Coefficients in Silane Plasma Chemistry

This paper presents a critical review of the basic data concerning the physics and chemistry of low pressure SiH₄ glow discharges used to deposit hydrogenated amorphous silicon films (a-Si:H). Starting with an updated table of thermochemical data, we analyze the gas-phase elementary processes consisting of i) electron-molecule collisions, ii) ion-molecule collisions, iii) neutral-neutral collisions, iv) other electron and ion collisions involving electron-ion and ion-ion recombination, electron attachment on radicals and detachment of anions, and v) cluster growth kinetics in dusty plasmas. Experimental data or theoretical estimates are given and discussed in terms of cross-sections, collision and reaction rate constants, and transport coefficients. We also analyze the surface processes and reaction probabilities of ions, radicals and molecules.     

Heavy ion collisions in three dimensions by the relaxation-time method

A quantum transport equation with two-body collisions included via a relaxation-time method, earlier applied to two-dimensional (slab) collisions, is now extended to three-dimensional calculations A density matrix is constructed from self-consistent field wave functions and is time-evolved in cartesian coordinates. This dynamical model of the nucleus is applicable at all nonrelativistic energies. The semiclassical limit is discussed. Results are shown for ¹⁶O-¹⁶O collisions between 40 and 200 MeV/A lab energies. Hot spots and conditions for fragmentation are discussed. The threshold for breakup of the compound system formed in a head-on collision lies between 40 and 60 MeV/A lab energies. At these energies, the maximum density-averaged thermal excitation energy is 7 and 10 MeV/A (average temperatures 8 and 11 MeV), respectively, compared with a binding energy of 8 MeV/A. The system does not thermalize completely, and the distribution in momentum space is not quite isotropic when breaking up.     

Two-photon collisions in deep inelastic lepton-nucleon and lepton-nucleus scattering

We have calculated the μ-pair production via photon-photon collisions in deep-inelastic charged lepton scattering on proton and nuclei, using the equivalent photon approximation. Specific parametrizations were assumed for the proton and the nuclei form factors and the QED photon structure function. Results are given for lepton energies below 300 GeV and virtual photon massesQ ² less than 50 GeV², as functions of the μ-pair mass, the scaling variablex and the electric chargeZ of the hadron target. Using a photon structure function derived from QPM and VDM we also estimate the contribution of γγ collisions to hadron production in these deep inelastic processes.     

High transverse momentum proton emission in Ar + Ta collisions at 94 MeV/u

Energy spectra of fast protons arising from Ar + Ta collisions at 94 MeV/u have been measured at large angles. These data are analysed in the framework of a one-body transport theory simulated by the BNV code. The low cross section measured for very energetic protons rules out a possible mechanism of kaon production via incoherent nucleon collisions at such low beam energies.     

Relativistic kinetic theory of quantum systems: IV. Transport equation for the neutrino component of an eeνeνe-mixture

The transport equation for a neutrino system derived previously is extended to include binary collisions involving electrons, positrons and antineutrinos. The transition amplitudes for these collision processes are specified in terms of an effective Hamiltonian density following from the Weinberg-Salam theory. The resulting equation incorporates the reactive processes e$\text{e}$ ? ν$\text{ν}$ and exhibits the electron and positron spins explicitly. It is shown to be form invariant under Lorentz transformations.     

Strange mesons in dense nuclear matter

Experimental data on the production of kaons and antikaons in heavy-ion collisions at relativistic energies are presented and discussed with respect to in-medium effects. The K ^?/K⁺ ratios measured in nucleus-nucleus collisions are 1–2 orders of magnitude larger than in proton-proton collisions. The azimuthal angle distributions of K ⁺ mesons indicate a repulsive kaon-nucleon potential. Microscopic transport calculations consistently explain both the yields and the emission patterns of kaons and antikaons when assuming that their properties are modified in dense nuclear matter. The K ⁺ production excitation functions measured in light and heavy collision systems provide evidence for a soft nuclear equation-of-state.     

Can the observed structures in positron spectra be caused by internal conversion?

The energy distribution of positrons emitted in quasimolecular collisions of Uranium on Uranium and Uranium on Curium has been measured by several groups. Peak structures in the positron spectra were observed. We discuss the possibility that these structures originate from internal conversion processes following nuclear Coulomb excitation or transfer reactions. Consequences for the nuclear photon spectra and theδ-ray distribution are pointed out and experimental procedures for an unambiguous determination of the significance of conversion processes are discussed.     

Pion-production in heavy-ion collisions at SIS energies

We investigate the production of pions in heavyion collisions in the energy range of 1–2 GeV/A. The dynamics of the nucleus-nucleus collisions is described by a set of coupled transport equations of the Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck type for baryons and mesons. Besides theN(938) and theΔ(1232) we also take into account nucleon resonances up to masses of 1.95 GeV/c² as well asπ-,η- andρ-mesons. We study in detail the influence of the higher baryonic resonances and the 2π-production channels (NN→NNππ) on the pion spectra in comparison toπ ^? data fromAr+KCl collisions at 1.8 GeV/A andπ ⁰-data forAu+Au at 1.0GeV/A. We, furthermore, present a detailed comparison of differential pion angular distributions with the BEVALAC data forAr+KCl at 1.8 GeV/A. The general agreement obtained indicates that the overall reaction dynamics is well described by our novel transport approach.     

Charm and bottom production at RHIC

The current status of charm and bottom production measurements at RHIC is summarized. Heavy-flavor data from p+p collisions at provide a crucial testing ground for perturbative QCD calculations and serve as a baseline for measurements in nucleus-nucleus collisions. Due to their large mass heavy quarks are produced in hard parton scattering processes in the earliest phase of a nucleus-nucleus collisions such that they can be used to probe the hot and dense medium that is formed in the course of Au+Au collisions at RHIC.     

Fluctuations and correlations as a signal of deconfinement

Event-by-event fluctuations of the K/??, K/p, and p/?? ratio in central AA collisions have been studied for SPS and RHIC energies. The Hadron-String-Dynamical transport approach (HSD) can qualitatively reproduce the measured excitation function for the K/?? ratio fluctuations. The di-jet azimuthal correlations also have been investigated within the HSD model. We found that the suppression of the away-side jet in the hadronic mediumis not enough to explain the experimental data from RHIC. The additional suppression should be attributed to a quark-gluon plasma produced in heavy-ion collisions.     

Freeze-out conditions in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions

We present recent results on single particle transverse momentum distributions of pions, kaons and protons, measured in CERN Experiment NA44, of 200 AGeV/c S+S and 158 AGeV/c Pb+Pb central collisions. By comparing these data with thermal and transport models, freeze-out parameters like the temperatureT _fo and the chemical potentials (μ _q ,μ _s ) are extracted and discussed.     

Heavy quarks at RHIC and LHC within a partonic transport model

Production and space-time evolution of heavy quarks in central and non-central heavy-ion collisions at RHIC and LHC are studied with the partonic transport model Boltzmann Approach of MultiParton Scatterings (BAMPS). In addition to the initially created heavy quarks in hard parton scatterings during nucleon-nucleon collisions, secondary heavy quark production in the quark-gluon plasma is investigated and the sensitivity on various parameters is estimated. In BAMPS heavy quarks scatter with particles of the medium via elastic collisions, whose cross section is calculated with the running coupling and a more precise implementation of Debye screening. In this framework, we compute the elliptic flow and nuclear modification factor of heavy quarks and compare it to the experimental data.     

Phenomenology of photon-e ± collisions

The physical interest ofγe ^± collisions is examined. A basic formalism is established. Crosssections are computed with general couplings and polarization states. Illustrations are given for QED tests, Z⁰ andW ^± production, various electro-weak processes including γγ collisions and the search for new currents and particles.     

Transport phenomena in a partially lonized Lorentzian magnetoplasma

Some transport coefficients are evaluated for a homogeneous, partially ionized Lorentzian plasma in the presence of a uniform external magnetic field. The electronion collisions are taken into account by means of the modified Fokker-Planck equation and the electron-neutral collision frequency, ν_en is taken as velocity (ω) dependent or velocity independent, depending on the energy range under consideration. The variation of the transport coefficients with magnetic field is determined for ν_en ∝ ω^s (s being a positive or negative integer) and one finds that qualitatively this behavior does not change by changing either the collision frequency or the velocity dependence of the collision frequency; however for weak magnetic fields the magnitudes of these transport coefficients increase with the decrease in ν_en or s, whereas for strong magnetic fields the transverse components of the transport coefficients decrease and the Hall components tend to saturate with the decrease of either the collision frequency or s.     

An exact treatment of some integrals appearing in the three-body contributions to transport coefficients

The convergence properties of the integral corresponding to the three-body cyclic collisions in the two-dimensional density expansion of transport coefficients are investigated. It is shown exactly that the integral considered by Oppenheim et al. and by Eu diverges logarithmically in the switching parameter ε.