Production In Nucleus-nucleus Collisions Research Articles

Upgrade of the NA61/SHINE Facility beyond 2020 for an Expanded Physics Programme

The NA61/SHINE experiment studies hadron production in hadron-hadron, hadron-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus collisions. The physics programme includes the study of the onset of deconfinement and search for the critical point as well as reference measurements for neutrino and cosmic ray experiments. For strong interactions, future plans are to extend the programme of study of the onset of deconfinement by measurements of open-charm and possibly other short-lived, exotic particle production in nucleus-nucleus collisions. This new programme is planned to start after 2020 and requires upgrades to the present NA61/SHINE detector setup. Besides the construction of a large acceptance silicon detector, a 10-fold increase of the event recording rate is foreseen, which will necessitate a general upgrade of most detectors.

Effect of the K+ in-medium potential on K+ production in heavy ion collisions

K+ meson productions in nucleus-nucleus collisions at energies near the kaon production threshold energy were investigated within the quantum molecular dynamics (QMD) model based on the covariant kaon dynamics. We analyzed the rapidity dependence of the direct flow v1 and the elliptic flow v2 of K+ meson, and the transverse momentum (pT) dependence of v1 for the K+ meson in Ni + Ni collisions at 1.91 AGeV, and compared the results with the FOPI data. We observed that the kaon in-medium potential obviously affects the K+ production in nucleus-nucleus collisions. After taking into account the K+ in-medium potential and using the soft equation of state, the theoretical results are in good agreement with the experimental data.

η′ production in nucleus-nucleus collisions as a probe of chiral dynamics

We argue that, because of the peculiar properties of the $\eta'$ meson, it is a promising probe of "chiral" dynamics. In particular, we show that a rotating gluon-dominated plasma might lead to an enhanced production of $\eta'$ w.r.t. statistical model expectations. The presence of a strong topological susceptibility might give a similar effect. In both cases, unlike the statistical model,we expect a non-trivial dependence on event geometry, such as initial volume and impact parameter. Hence, an observation of $\eta'/\pi^0$ ratio depending strongly on impact parameter might be a good indication of chiral effects, either from vorticity or topological phases of QCD

Energy dependence of strangeness production and event-byevent fluctuations

We review the energy dependence of strangeness production in nucleus-nucleus collisions and contrast it with the experimental observations in pp and p-A collisions at LHC energies as a function of the charged particle multiplicities. For the high multiplicity final states the results from pp and p-Pb reactions systematically approach the values obtained from Pb-Pb collisions. In statistical models this implies an approach to the thermodynamic limit, where differences of mean multiplicities between various formalisms, such as Canonical and Grand Canonical Ensembles, vanish. Furthermore, we report on event-by-event net-proton fluctuations as measured by STAR at RHIC/BNL and by ALICE at LHC/CERN and discuss various non-dynamical contributions to these measurements, which should be properly subtracted before comparison to theoretical calculations on dynamical net-baryon fluctuations.

Modeling pion production in heavy-ion collisions at intermediate energies

Pion production in nucleus-nucleus collisions at intermediate energies was modeled in the framework of the Isospin-dependent Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck (IBUU) transport model. The effects of nucleon-nucleon short-range correlations in initialization and mean-field potential, isospin-dependent in-medium baryon-baryon elastic and inelastic cross sections and pion in-medium effect are all considered in this model. It is found that the ratio and yields of $\pi^{-}$and $\pi^{+}$ in Au+Au reaction at 400 MeV/nucleon reproduce the FOPI/GSI data very well especially with a soft symmetry energy in the present transport model. Predictions on the single and double $\pi^{-}/\pi^{+}$ ratio are made for the isotope reaction systems $^{132}\rm {Sn}+^{124}\rm {Sn}$ and $^{108}\rm {Sn}+^{112}\rm {Sn}$ at 300 MeV/nucleon since related experiments are being carried out at RIKEN/Japan.

New high resolution measurements of open and hidden charm production in proton-nucleus collisions at [formula omitted] with LHCb

Open and hidden charm production in nucleus-nucleus collisions is considered as a key probe of Quark Gluon Plasma (QGP) formation. In the search of specific QGP effects, proton-nucleus collisions are used as the reference as they account for the corresponding Cold Nuclear Matter (CNM) effects. The LHCb experiment, thanks to its System for Measuring Overlap with Gas (SMOG) can be operated in a fixed target mode with the LHC beams, at an intermediate center-of-mass energy between nominal SPS and RHIC energies. In 2015, for the first time, reactions of incident LHC proton beams on noble gas targets have been recorded by the LHCb experiment at a center-of-mass energy of 110 GeV and within the center-of-mass rapidity range −2.77<y⁎<−0.2. The first high resolution measurements on open and hidden charm production obtained under these conditions are presented.

Open Charm Production in Central Pb+Pb Collisions at the CERN SPS: Statistical Model Estimates

Charm particle production in nucleus-nucleus collisions at the CERN SPS energies is considered within a statistical approach. Namely, the Statistical Model of the Early Stage is used to calculate mean multiplicity of charm particles in central Pb+Pb collisions. A small number of produced charm particles necessitates the use of the exact charm conservation law. The model predicts a rapid increase of mean charm multiplicity as a function of collision energy. The mean multiplicity calculated for central Pb+Pb collisions at the center of mass energy per nucleon pair $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=17.3$ GeV exceeds significantly the experimental upper limit. Thus, in order to describe open charm production model parameters and/or assumptions should be revised.

Recent results from the NA61/SHINE strong interaction physics programme

The main physics goals of the NA61/SHINE programme on strong interactions are the study of the properties of the onset of deconfinement and the search for signatures of the critical point of strongly interacting matter. For this purpose a scan of the two dimensional phase diagram ($T$-$\mu_{B}$) is being performed at the SPS by measurements of hadron production in nucleus-nucleus collisions as a function of collision energy and system size. This contribution presents intriguing results on the energy dependence of hadron spectra and yields in inelastic p+p and centrality selected Be+Be and Ar+Sc collisions. In particular, the energy dependence of the signals of deconfinement, the "horn", "step" and "kink", and new results on fluctuations and correlations are shown and compared with the corresponding data of other experiments and model predictions.

Multihadron production dynamics exploring the energy balance in hadronic and nuclear collisions

The multihadron production in nucleus-nucleus collisions and its interrelation with that in (anti)proton-proton interactions are studied by exploring the charged particle mean multiplicity collision-energy and centrality dependencies in the measurements to date. The study is performed in the framework of the recently proposed effective-energy approach which, under the proper scaling of the collision energy, combines the constituent quark picture with Landau relativistic hydrodynamics counting for the centrality-defined effective energy of participants and relating different types of collisions. Within this approach, the multiplicity energy dependence and the pseudorapidity spectra from the most central nuclear collisions are well reproduced. The study of the multiplicity centrality dependence reveals a new scaling between the measured pseudorapidity spectra and the calculations. By means of this scaling, called the energy balanced limiting fragmentation scaling, one reproduces the pseudorapidity spectra for all centralities. The scaling elucidates some differences in the multiplicity and midrapidity density centrality dependence obtained at RHIC and LHC. These findings reveal an inherent similarity in the multiplicity energy dependence from the most central collisions and centrality data. A new regime in heavy-ion collisions to occur at about a TeV energy is indicated, similar to that observed in the earlier studies of the midrapidity densities. Predictions are made for the mean multiplicities to be measured in proton-proton and heavy-ion collisions at the LHC.

Deformed flux tubes produce azimuthal anisotropy in heavy ion collisions

We investigate the azimuthal anisotropy ${v}_{2}$ of particle production in nucleus-nucleus collisions in the maximum entropy approach. This necessitates two new phenomenological input parameters $\ensuremath{\delta}$ and ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{2}$ compared with integrated multiplicity distributions. The parameter $\ensuremath{\delta}$ describes the deformation of a flux tube and can be theoretically calculated in a bag model with a bag constant which depends on the density of surrounding flux tubes. The parameter ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{2}$ defines the anisotropy of the particle distribution in momentum space and can be connected to $\ensuremath{\delta}$ via the uncertainty relation. In this framework we compute the anisotropy ${v}_{2}$ as a function of centrality, transverse momentum, and rapidity in qualitative agreement with Large Hadron Collider data.

On the processes of charmonium production in nucleus-nucleus collisions

The processes of production of \(c\bar c\)-states in the collisions of two nuclei are considered. In the fragmentation region of the incident nucleon of nucleus B, the expressions for the inclusive spectra BA → J / γX are derived. For different target nuclei A and energies of the nucleons of nucleus B the results of calculations are presented.

Electromagnetic probes of the QGP

We investigate the properties of the QCD matter across the deconfinement phase transition in the scope of the parton-hadron string dynamics (PHSD) transport approach. We present here in particular the results on the electromagnetic radiation, i.e. photon and dilepton production, in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. By comparing our calculations for the heavy-ion collisions to the available data, we determine the relative importance of the various production sources and address the possible origin of the observed strong elliptic flow $v_2$ of direct photons. We argue that the different centrality dependence of the hadronic and partonic sources for direct photon production in nucleus-nucleus collisions can be employed to shed some more light on the origin of the photon $v_2$ puzzle. While the dilepton spectra at low invariant mass show in-medium effects like an enhancement from multiple baryonic resonance formation or a collisional broadening of the vector meson spectral functions, the dilepton yield at high invariant masses (above 1.1 GeV) is dominated by QGP contributions for central heavy-ion collisions at ultra-relativistic energies. This allows to have an independent view on the parton dynamics via their electromagnetic massive radiation.

Electromagnetic probes of the QGP

We investigate the properties of the QCD matter across the deconfinement phase transition in the scope of the parton-hadron string dynamics (PHSD) transport approach. We present here in particular the results on the electromagnetic radiation, i.e. photon and dilepton production, in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. By comparing our calculations for the heavy-ion collisions to the available data, we determine the relative importance of the various production sources and address the possible origin of the observed strong elliptic flow v2 of direct photons. We argue that the different centrality dependence of the hadronic and partonic sources for direct photon production in nucleusnucleus collisions can be employed to shed some more light on the origin of the photon v2 “puzzle”. While the dilepton spectra at low invariant mass show in-medium effects like an enhancement from multiple baryonic resonance formation or a collisional broadening of the vector meson spectral functions, the dilepton yield at high invariant masses (above 1.1 GeV) is dominated by QGP contributions for central heavy-ion collisions at ultra-relativistic energies. This allows to have an independent view on the parton dynamics via their electromagnetic massive radiation.

Antistrange meson-baryon interaction in hot and dense nuclear matter

We present a study of in-medium cross sections and (off-shell) transition rates for the most relevant binary reactions for strange pseudoscalar meson production close to threshold in heavy-ion collisions at energies available at the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research. Our results rely on a chiral unitary approach in coupled channels which incorporates the $s$ and $p$ waves of the kaon-nucleon interaction. The formalism, which is modified in the hot and dense medium to account for Pauli blocking effects, mean-field binding on baryons, and pion and kaon self-energies, has been improved to implement unitarization and self-consistency for both the $s$- and the $p$-wave interactions at finite temperature and density. This gives access to in-medium amplitudes in several elastic and inelastic coupled channels with strangeness content $S=\ensuremath{-}1$. The obtained total cross sections mostly reflect the fate of the $\ensuremath{\Lambda}(1405)$ resonance, which melts in the nuclear environment, whereas the off-shell transition probabilities are also sensitive to the in-medium properties of the hyperons excited in the $p$-wave amplitudes $[\ensuremath{\Lambda},\ensuremath{\Sigma}$, and ${\ensuremath{\Sigma}}^{*}(1385)]$. The single-particle potentials of these hyperons at finite momentum, density, and temperature are also discussed in connection with the pertinent scattering amplitudes. Our results are the basis for future implementations in microscopic transport approaches accounting for off-shell dynamics of strangeness production in nucleus-nucleus collisions.

System-size dependence of charged kaon and pion production in nucleus-nucleus collisions at beam energies of 40A GeV and 158A GeV

We present the system size (centrality) dependence of the mean transverse mass, of the K/π ratio, and the width of the rapidity distributions. Except for the latter a steep increase with centrality is observed for small systems followed by a weak rise or even saturation for higher centralities at both energies. This behavior is compared to calculations using transport models (UrQMD and HSD), a percolation model and the core-corona approach.

ALICE results on quarkonium production in pp, p-Pb and Pb-Pb collisions

The study of quarkonia, bound states of heavy (charm or bottom) quark-antiquark pairs such as the J/ψ or the ϒ, provides insight into the earliest and hottest stages of high-energy nucleus-nucleus collisions where the formation of a Quark-Gluon Plasma is expected. High-precision data from proton-proton collisions represent an essential baseline for the measurement of nuclear modifications in nucleus-nucleus collisions and serve also as a crucial test for models of quarkonium hadroproduction. Another fundamental tool to understand the quarkonium production in nucleus-nucleus collisions is the the study of proton-nucleus interactions, which allows one to investigate cold nuclear matter effects, such as parton shadowing or gluon saturation. The ALICE detector provides excellent capabilities to study quarkonium production at the Large Hadron Collider at both central and forward rapidity. An overview on ALICE results on quarkonium production in pp, p-Pb and Pb-Pb collisions is presented. Results are compared to theoretical model predictions.

Proton and Λ hyperon production in nucleus-nucleus collisions

The experimental data on net proton and net Lambda-hyperon spectra obtained by the NA35 Collaboration, as well as the inclusive densities of Lambda and bar-Lambda obtained by NA49, NA57, and STAR collaborations, are compared with the predictions of the Quark-Gluon String Model. The contributions of String Junction diffusion, interactions with nuclear clusters, and the inelastic screening corrections are accounted for. The level of numerical agreement of the calculations with the experimental data is of about 20-30%. The predictions for LHC are also presented.

Measurements of production properties ofKS0mesons andΛhyperons in proton-carbon interactions at 31 GeV/c

Spectra of K0S mesons and Lambda hyperons were measured in p+C interactions at 31 GeV/c with the large acceptance NA61/SHINE spectrometer at the CERN SPS. The data were collected with an isotropic graphite target with a thickness of 4% of a nuclear interaction length. Interaction cross sections, charged pion spectra, and charged kaon spectra were previously measured using the same data set. Results on K0S and Lambda production in p+C interactions serve as reference for the understanding of the enhancement of strangeness production in nucleus-nucleus collisions. Moreover, they provide important input for the improvement of neutrino flux predictions for the T2K long baseline neutrino oscillation experiment in Japan. Inclusive production cross sections for K0S and Lambda are presented as a function of laboratory momentum in intervals of the laboratory polar angle covering the range from 0 up to 240 mrad. The results are compared with predictions of several hadron production models. The K0S mean multiplicity in production processes <n_K0S> and the inclusive cross section for K0S production were measured and amount to 0.127 +- 0.005 (stat) +- 0.022 (sys) and 29.0 +- 1.6 (stat) +- 5.0 (sys) mb, respectively.

Color-neutral heavy particle production in nucleus–nucleus collisions in the quasi-classical approximation

We use a diagrammatic approach to study color-neutral heavy particle production in nucleus-nucleus collisions in a quasi-classical approximation without small-$x$ evolution. In order to treat the two nuclei symmetrically, we use the Coulomb gauge which gives the appropriate light cone gauge for each nucleus. The resulting cross section is factorized into a product of two Weizs\"{a}cker-Williams gluon distributions of the two nuclei when the transverse momentum of the produced scalar particle is around the saturation momentum. We confirm our results in covariant gauge where the transverse momentum broadening of hard gluons can be described as a diffusion process. The transverse momentum factorization manifests itself in light cone gauge but not so clearly in covariant gauge.

System-size and centrality dependence of charged kaon and pion production in nucleus-nucleus collisions at 40AGeV and 158AGeV beam energy

Measurements of charged pion and kaon production are presented in centrality selected Pb+Pb collisions at 40A GeV and 158A GeV beam energy as well as in semi-central C+C and Si+Si interactions at 40A GeV. Transverse mass spectra, rapidity spectra and total yields are determined as a function of centrality. The system-size and centrality dependence of relative strangeness production in nucleus-nucleus collisions at 40A GeV and 158A GeV beam energy are derived from the data presented here and published data for C+C and Si+Si collisions at 158A GeV beam energy. At both energies a steep increase with centrality is observed for small systems followed by a weak rise or even saturation for higher centralities. This behavior is compared to calculations using transport models (UrQMD and HSD), a percolation model and the core-corona approach.