Abstract
The main aim of the relativistic heavy-ion experiment is to create extremely hot and dense matter and study the QCD phase structure. With this motivation, experimental program started in the early 1990s at the Brookhaven Alternating Gradient Synchrotron (AGS) and the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) followed by Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven and recently at Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. These experiments allowed us to study the QCD matter from center-of-mass energies (sNN) 4.75 GeV to 2.76 TeV. Theϕmeson, due to its unique properties, is considered as a good probe to study the QCD matter created in relativistic collisions. In this paper we present a review on the measurements ofϕmeson production in heavy-ion experiments. Mainly, we discuss the energy dependence ofϕmeson invariant yield and the production mechanism, strangeness enhancement, parton energy loss, and partonic collectivity in nucleus-nucleus collisions. Effect of later stage hadronic rescattering on elliptic flow (v2) of proton is also discussed relative to corresponding effect onϕmesonv2.
Highlights
According to quantum chromodynamics (QCD) [1,2,3,4], at very high temperature (T) and/or at high density, a deconfined phase of quarks and gluons is expected to be present, while at low T and low density the quarks and gluons are known to be confined inside hadrons
We have presented a review on the experimentally measured data on φ production in high energy heavy-ion collisions
The differential measurements of φ meson production have been compared from heavy-ion collisions at the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS), Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), and Large Hadron Collider (LHC) energies
Summary
According to quantum chromodynamics (QCD) [1,2,3,4], at very high temperature (T) and/or at high density, a deconfined phase of quarks and gluons is expected to be present, while at low T and low density the quarks and gluons are known to be confined inside hadrons. The φ vector meson, which is the lightest bound state of s and s quarks, is considered as a good probe for the study of QCD matter formed in heavy-ion collisions. It was discovered at Brookhaven National Laboratory in 1962 through the reaction K + p → Λ + K + K as shown in Figure 1 [5]. Alternative ideas of Canonical suppression of strangeness in small systems (proton-proton) as a source of strangeness enhancement in high energy nucleus-nucleus collisions have been proposed [15] This led to a lot of ambiguity in understanding the true physical origin of the observed enhancement in the strange particle production in high energy heavy-ion collisions.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
