Particles In Heavy-ion Collisions Research Articles

Prevalence of Production of Twisted Particles in Heavy-Ion Collisions

Prevalence of Production of Twisted Particles in Heavy-Ion Collisions

Deep learning predicted elliptic flow of identified particles in heavy-ion collisions at the RHIC and LHC energies

Recent developments on a deep learning feed-forward network for estimating elliptic flow ($v_2$) coefficients in heavy-ion collisions have shown us the prediction power of this technique. The success of the model is mainly the estimation of $v_2$ from final state particle kinematic information and learning the centrality and the transverse momentum ($p_{\rm T}$) dependence of $v_2$. The deep learning model is trained with Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 5.02$ TeV minimum bias events simulated with a multiphase transport model (AMPT). We extend this work to estimate $v_2$ for light-flavor identified particles such as $\pi^{\pm}$, $\rm K^{\pm}$, and $\rm p+\bar{p}$ in heavy-ion collisions at RHIC and LHC energies. The number of constituent quark (NCQ) scaling is also shown. The evolution of $p_{\rm T}$-crossing point of $v_2(p_{\rm T})$, depicting a change in meson-baryon elliptic flow at intermediate-$p_{\rm T}$, is studied for various collision systems and energies. The model is further evaluated by training it for different $p_{\rm T}$ regions. These results are compared with the available experimental data wherever possible.

Shear induced polarization: collisional contributions

It has been realized that thermal shear plays a similar role as thermal vorticity in polarizing spin of particles in heavy ion collisions. We point out that shear has a funda- mental difference that it leads to particle redistribution in the medium. The redistribution gives rise to an additional contribution to spin polarization through the self-energy, which is parametrically the same order as the one considered so far in the literature. The self-energy contribution is in general gauge dependent. We introduce double gauge links stretching along the Schwinger-Keldysh contour to restore gauge invariance. We also generalize the straight path to adapt to the Schwinger-Keldysh contour. We find another contribution associated with the gauge link, which is also parametrically the same order. We illustrate the two contributions with a massive probe fermion in massless QED plasma with shear. A modest suppression of spin polarization is found from the combined contributions when the probe fermion has momentum much greater than the temperature.

Production of twisted particles in heavy-ion collisions

A prevalence of production of twisted (vortex) particles in noncentral heavy-ion collisions is shown. In such collisions, photons emitted due to the rotation of charges are highly twisted. Charged particles are produced in nonspreading multiwave states and have significant orbital angular momenta. It can be expected that an emission of any twisted particles manifesting themselves in specific effects is rather ubiquitous.

Search for axion(-like) particles in heavy-ion collisions

We propose a novel way to search for axion(-like) particles in heavy-ion collisions using prompt photons as the probe and the property of conversion between photon and axion(-like) particles under a strong magnetic field generated in the non-central collisions. The expected result reveals that a new phase space region of the coupling constant for photon and axion(-like) particles can be covered in the future high energy nuclear colliders.

The Novel Scaling of Tsallis Parameters from the Transverse Momentum Spectra of Charged Particles in Heavy-Ion Collisions

The transverse momentum (pT) spectra of charged particles measured in Au + Au collisions from the beam energy scan (BES) program, Cu + Cu collisions at sNN=62.4, 200 GeV at the RHIC and Pb + Pb, Xe + Xe collisions at the LHC are investigated in the framework of Tsallis thermodynamics. The theory can describe the experimental data well for all the collision systems, energies and centralities investigated. The collision energy and centrality dependence of the Tsallis distribution parameters, i.e., the temperature T and the nonextensive parameter q, for the A + A collisions are also studied and discussed. A novel scaling between the temperature divided by the natural logarithm of collision energy (T/lns) and the nonextensive parameter q is presented.

Experimental investigation of abnormal transverse flow enhancement of α particles in heavy-ion collisions

The mass dependence of the transverse flow for $Z=1$--5 fragments from the collisions of $^{40}\mathrm{Ar}+^{27}\mathrm{Al}, ^{40}\mathrm{Ar}+^{48}\mathrm{Ti}$, and $^{40}\mathrm{Ar}+^{58}\mathrm{Ni}$ at 47 MeV/nucleon is investigated experimentally in this article. The transverse flow values are determined using the in-plane components of the fragment transverse momenta, where three conventional methods, i.e., the kinetic flow tensor method, the transverse momentum analysis method, and the azimuthal correlation method, are applied to reconstruct the reaction plane in an event-by-event basis. It is demonstrated from the comparison of the present experimental mass dependent flow measurements and the model simulations using an improved antisymmetrized molecular dynamics model that the experimentally observed abnormal $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ transverse flow enhancement is closely related to the reaction plane reconstruction procedure in the flow extraction. We further investigate the physical existence of the abnormal $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ flow behavior using a two-particle azimuthal correlation method, which allows us to provide the relative flow magnitude information with an identification of fragment charge number without the knowledge of the reaction plane differing from the three conventional methods. It is found that the relative flow magnitudes deduced from the two-particle azimuthal correlation functions with an identification of $Z$, with the correction for the recoil effect imposed by the momentum conservation, show a monotonically increasing trend as a function of fragment charge number, with no exception of the $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ flow enhancement. These results, in addition to those from the improved antisymmetrized molecular dynamics model simulations, definitely provide experimental evidences for the inexistence of the abnormal $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ flow behavior in the heavy-ion collisions at the present incident energy region in nature.

Polarization of Elementary Particles in Heavy-Ion Collisions as a Manifestation of Quantum Field Theory Anomalies

Polarization of Elementary Particles in Heavy-Ion Collisions as a Manifestation of Quantum Field Theory Anomalies

$$X(3872)$$transport in heavy-ion collisions

AbstractThe production of the $$X(3872)$$ X ( 3872 ) particle in heavy-ion collisions has been contemplated as an alternative probe of its internal structure. To investigate this conjecture, we perform transport calculations of the $$X(3872)$$ X ( 3872 ) through the fireball formed in nuclear collisions at the LHC. Within a kinetic-rate equation approach as previously used for charmonia, the formation and dissociation of the $$X(3872)$$ X ( 3872 ) is controlled by two transport parameters, i.e., its inelastic reaction rate and thermal-equilibrium limit in the evolving hot QCD medium. While the equilibrium limit is controlled by the charm production cross section in primordial nucleon-nucleon collisions (together with the spectra of charm states in the medium), the structure information is encoded in the reaction rate. We study how different scenarios for the rate affect the centrality dependence and transverse-momentum ($$p_T$$ p T ) spectra of the $$X(3872)$$ X ( 3872 ) . Larger reaction rates associated with the loosely bound molecule structure imply that it is formed later in the fireball evolution than the tetraquark and thus its final yields are generally smaller by around a factor of two, which is qualitatively different from most coalescence model calculations to date. The $$p_T$$ p T spectra provide further information as the later decoupling time within the molecular scenario leads to harder spectra caused by the blue-shift from the expanding fireball.

Signature of intermittency during emission of target associated particles in heavy ion collisions at SPS energies

A study of intermittent type of fluctuations of target fragments produced in the interactions of 32 S-AgBr at 200 AGeV using the method of scaled factorial moments, F q has been performed. An intermittent behaviour is observed for fast and slow target fragments for the experimental data in terms of new scaled variable X(Cosθ) suggested by Bialas and Gazdzicki. The variations of the anomalous fractal dimensions, d q , and the generalized dimensions, D q , with the order of the moments, q , are investigated with the help of F q , moments. The anomalous dimension, d q increases linearly with the order of moments, q, suggesting the multifractality with the production mechanism of target associated fragments.

Signature of intermittency during emission of target associated particles in heavy ion collisions at SPS energies

A study of intermittent type of fluctuations of target fragments produced in the interactions of 32 S-AgBr at 200 AGeV using the method of scaled factorial moments, F q has been performed. An intermittent behaviour is observed for fast and slow target fragments for the experimental data in terms of new scaled variable X(Cosθ) suggested by Bialas and Gazdzicki. The variations of the anomalous fractal dimensions, d q , and the generalized dimensions, D q , with the order of the moments, q , are investigated with the help of F q , moments. The anomalous dimension, d q increases linearly with the order of moments, q, suggesting the multifractality with the production mechanism of target associated fragments.

Jet quenching in the hadron gas: An exploratory study

The suppression of high momentum particles in heavy-ion collisions in comparison to elementary reactions is one of the main indications for the formation of a quark-gluon plasma. In recent studies, full jets are being reconstructed and substructure observables are gaining importance in assessing the medium modifications of hard probes. In this work, the effect of the late stage hadronic interactions are explored within the hadronic transport approach SMASH (Simulating Many Accelerated Strongly-interacting Hadrons). High momentum particles are incorporated in a radially expanding hadron gas to analyse the corresponding angular distributions, also refered to as `jet shape' observables. We find that the full hadron gas can be approximated with a pion gas with constant elastic cross-sections of 100 mb. In addition, the temperature and probe energy dependence of diffusion coefficients $\tilde{q}$ and $\tilde{e}$ quantifying the transverse and parallel momentum transfers are extracted. The species dependence and the importance of different interaction types are investigated. Parametrizations are presented that can be employed in future jet quenching calculations to include the effect of the hadronic phase.

Searching for New Long-Lived Particles in Heavy-Ion Collisions at the LHC.

We show that heavy-ion collisions at the LHC provide a promising environment to search for new long-lived particles in well-motivated new physics scenarios. One advantage lies in the possibility to operate the main detectors with looser triggers, which can increase the number of observable events by orders of magnitude if the long-lived particles are produced with low transverse momentum. In addition, the absence of pileup in heavy-ion collisions can avoid systematic nuisances that will be present in future proton runs, such as the problem of vertex misidentification. Finally, there are new production mechanisms that are absent or inefficient in proton collisions. We show that the looser triggers alone can make searches in heavy-ion data competitive with proton data for the specific example of heavy neutrinos in the neutrino minimal standard model, produced in the decay of B mesons. Our results suggest that collisions of ions lighter than lead, which are currently under discussion in the heavy-ion community, are well motivated from the viewpoint of searches for new physics.

Measurement of angular and momentum distributions of charged particles within and around jets in Pb+Pb and pp collisions at sNN=5.02 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Studies of the fragmentation of jets into charged particles in heavy-ion collisions can provide information about the mechanism of jet-quenching by the hot and dense QCD matter created in such collisions, the quark-gluon plasma. This paper presents a measurement of the angular distribution of charged particles around the jet axis in $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=$ 5.02 TeV Pb+Pb and $pp$ collisions, using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The Pb+Pb and $pp$ data sets have integrated luminosities of 0.49 nb$^{-1}$ and 25 pb$^{-1}$, respectively. The measurement is performed for jets reconstructed with the anti-$k_{t}$ algorithm with radius parameter $R = 0.4$ and is extended to an angular distance of $r= 0.8$ from the jet axis. Results are presented as a function of Pb+Pb collision centrality and distance from the jet axis for charged particles with transverse momenta in the 1$-$63 GeV range, matched to jets with transverse momenta in the 126$-$316 GeV range and an absolute value of jet rapidity of less than 1.7. Modifications to the measured distributions are quantified by taking a ratio to the measurements in $pp$ collisions. Yields of charged particles with transverse momenta below 4 GeV are observed to be increasingly enhanced as a function of angular distance from the jet axis, reaching a maximum at $r=0.6$. Charged particles with transverse momenta above 4 GeV have an enhanced yield in Pb+Pb collisions in the jet core for angular distances up to $r = 0.05$ from the jet axis, with a suppression at larger distances.

Measurement of angular and momentum distributions of charged particles within and around jets in Pb+Pb and pp collisions at [formula omitted] with ATLAS at the LHC

Studies of the fragmentation of jets into charged particles in heavy-ion collisions can help in understanding the mechanism of jet quenching by the hot and dense QCD matter created in such collisions, the quark-gluon plasma. These proceedings present a measurement of the angular distribution of charged particles around the jet axis in sNN=5.02TeV Pb+Pb and pp collisions, done using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The measurement is performed inside jets reconstructed with the anti-kt algorithm with radius parameter R=0.4, and is extended to regions outside the jet cone. Results are presented as a function of Pb+Pb collision centrality, and both jet and charged-particle transverse momenta.

Emission of high energy particles in heavy ion collisions and a non-equilibrium equation of state

A hydrodynamic approach with a non-equilibrium equation of state is used to describe the collisions of heavy ions at medium and intermediate energies. In the development of this approach, with the inclusion of nuclear viscosity effects and the introduction of an amendment to the microcanonical distribution, the double differential cross sections of proton emission in collisions of different nuclei are calculated, which are in agreement with the available experimental data on the emission of high-energy particles, including the cumulative spectral region.

Evaluation study of hypernuclei production at NICA/MPD

The main goal of the NICA/MPD facility is a study of the properties of hot and dense baryonic matter. One of the possible ways of doing this is to study strangeness production in nuclear collisions. The enhanced production of strange particles in heavy-ion collisions is considered to be a signal for the quark-gluon plasma formation. In this paper the MPD detector abilities to measure different hypernuclei species in Au+Au collisions at NICA energy region are presented.

Transverse energy per charged particle in heavy-ion collisions: Role of collective flow

The ratio of (pseudo)rapidity density of transverse energy and the (pseudo)rapidity density of charged particles, which is a measure of the mean transverse energy per particle, is an important observable in high energy heavy-ion collisions, which reveals about the mechanism of particle production and the freeze-out criteria. Its collision energy and centrality dependence is exactly like the chemical freeze-out temperature till top RHIC energy. The LHC measurement at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV brings up new challenges to rule out the mechanisms of gluon saturation or non-equilibrium phenomena being prevalent at high energies, which could contribute to the above observable. The Statistical Hadron Gas Model (SHGM) with a static fireball approximation has been successful in describing both the centrality and energy dependence till top RHIC energies. However, the SHGM predictions for higher energies are highly underestimated by the LHC data. In order to understand this, we have incorporated radial flow effect in an excluded volume SHGM. The hard-core radius of baryons at lower collision energies plays an important role in the description of a hadronic system. In view of this, in order to make a complete energy dependence study from FAIR to LHC energies, we have considered an excluded volume SHGM. Our studies suggest that the collective flow plays an important role in describing $E_{T}/N_{ch}$ and it could be one of the possible parameters to explain the jump observed in $E_{T}/N_{ch}$ from RHIC to LHC energies. Predictions for the LHC measurements at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV are given.

Multicharmed Baryon Production in High Energy Nuclear Collisions

We study nuclear medium effect on multicharmed baryon production in relativistic heavy ion collisions. By solving the three-quark Schroedinger equation at finite temperature, we calculate the wave functions and Wigner functions for doubly and triply charmed baryons \(\varXi _{cc}\) and \(\varOmega _{ccc}\). Their production in nuclear collisions is largely enhanced due to the combination of uncorrelated charm quarks in the quark-gluon plasma. It is most probable to discover these new particles in heavy ion collisions at the RHIC and LHC energies.

(Anti-)deuteron production and anisotropic flow measured with ALICE at the LHC

The high abundance of (anti-)deuterons in the statistics gathered in Run 1 of the LHC and the excellent performance of the ALICE setup allow for the simultaneous measurement of the elliptic flow and the deuteron production rates with a large transverse momentum (pT) reach. The (anti-) deuterons are identified using the specific energy loss in the time projection chamber and the velocity information in the time-of-flight detector. The elliptic flow of (anti-)deuterons can provide insight into the production mechanisms of particles in heavy-ion collisions. Quark coalescence is one of the approaches to describe the elliptic flow of hadrons, while the production of light nuclei can be also depicted as a coalescence of nucleons. In these proceedings, the measured v2 of deuterons produced in Pb–Pb collisions at sNN=2.76 TeV will be compared to expectations from coalescence and hydrodynamic models.