In high energy heavy ion collisions, the directed flow of particles is conventionally measured with respect to that of the projectile spectators, which is defined as positive $x$ direction. But it is not known if the spectators deflect in the "outward" direction or "inward" -- toward the center line of the collision. In this Letter we discuss how the measurements of the directed flow at mid-rapidity, especially in asymmetric collision such as Cu+Au, can be used to answer this question. We show that the existing data strongly favor the case that the spectators, in the ultrarelativistic collisions, on average deflect outwards.
In peripheral collisions of relativistic heavy ions highly excited spectators containing Lambda-hyperons can be produced. Such strange spectator matter may undergo a break-up into many fragments (multifragmentation) as it is well established for ordinary nuclear systems. We generalize the statistical multifragmentation model, previously successfully used for the description of experimental data, for the case of hypernuclear systems. We predict relative yields of hypernuclei and the main characteristics of such a break-up. We point at a connection of this phenomenon with a liquid-gas phase tran…
In heavy nuclei the ratio between local densities of neutrons and protons increases towards the nuclear periphery. The excess of neutrons is known as the neutron skin (NS) with a subtle difference ($<0.5$~fm) between the r.m.s radii of the distributions of neutrons and protons. We show that the presence of NS in $^{208}$Pb leads to extra spectator neutrons in ultracentral $^{208}$Pb--$^{208}$Pb collisions at the CERN SPS and LHC. The yields of spectator neutrons and protons were calculated within a new version of Abrasion-Ablation Monte Carlo for Colliders model (AAMCC-MST) taking into account…
Polarized electron-deuteron DIS with spectator proton tagging offers a way of measuring the neutron spin structure functions with maximal theoretical control of nuclear effects. We calculate the nuclear structure factors in the longitudinal double-spin asymmetries using methods of light-front nuclear structure. A unique feature of the spin-1 system is that spin asymmetries can be formed either relative to the cross section in all three spin states ($λ_d = \pm 1, 0$) or in the two maximum-spin states only ($\pm 1$, involving tensor polarization). We find that the two-state deuteron spin asymmet…
An Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) with suitable forward detection capabilities would enable a unique experimental program of deep-inelastic scattering (DIS) from polarized light nuclei (deuterium 2H, helium 3He) with spectator nucleon tagging. Such measurements promise significant advances in several key areas of nuclear physics and QCD: (a) neutron spin structure, by using polarized deuterium and eliminating nuclear effects through on-shell extrapolation in the spectator proton momentum; (b) quark/gluon structure of the bound nucleon at x > 0.1 and the dynamical mechanisms acting on it, by measu…
Background: DIS on the polarized deuteron with detection of a proton in the nuclear breakup region (spectator tagging) represents a unique method for extracting the neutron spin structure functions and studying nuclear modifications. The tagged proton momentum controls the nuclear configuration during the DIS process and enables a differential analysis of nuclear effects. Such measurements could be performed with the future electron-ion collider (EIC) and forward proton detectors if deuteron beam polarization could be achieved. Purpose: Develop theoretical framework for polarized deuteron DIS …
We show that the yield ratio of free spectator neutrons produced in high-energy $^{96}$Zr+$^{96}$Zr to $^{96}$Ru+$^{96}$Ru collisions is a clean probe of the neutron-skin thickness of colliding nuclei and the slope parameter $L$ of the symmetry energy. The idea is demonstrated based on the proton and neutron density distributions via a state-of-the-art Skyrme-Hartree-Fock-Bogolyubov calculation. Among spectator nucleons given by the Glauber model, free spectator neutrons include those from direct production that survive from clusterization as well as those from deexcitation of heavy clusters d…
The interplay between spectator and participant matter in heavy-ion collisions is investigated in the context of a microscopic transport model. Transport simulations show that flow patterns for the participant matter are strongly influenced by the presence of the nearby spectator matter. However, the influence is mutual. During the explosion of the participant zone, the spectator matter acquires a transverse momentum $<P^x /A>$ that shows sensitivity to the nuclear incompressibility and to the momentum dependence of the nuclear mean field (MF). An observed change in the net average momentum pe…
Besides the yield ratio of free spectator neutrons produced in ultracentral $^{96}$Zr+$^{96}$Zr to $^{96}$Ru+$^{96}$Ru collisions, we propose that the yield ratio $N_n/N_p$ of free spectator neutrons to protons in a single collision system at RHIC and LHC can be a more sensitive probe of the neutron-skin thickness $Δr_{\mathrm{np}}$ and the slope parameter $L$ of the symmetry energy. The idea is demonstrated based on the proton and neutron density distributions of colliding nuclei obtained from Skyrme-Hartree-Fock-Bogolyubov calculations, and a Glauber model that provides information of specta…
An Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) would enable next-generation measurements of deep-inelastic scattering (DIS) on the deuteron with detection of a forward-moving nucleon (p, n) and measurement of its recoil momentum ("spectator tagging"). Such experiments offer full control of the nuclear configuration during the high-energy process and can be used for precision studies of the neutron's partonic structure and its spin dependence, nuclear modifications of partonic structure, and nuclear shadowing at small x. We review the theoretical description of spectator tagging at EIC energies (light-front nu…
The neutron skin in deformed nuclei is generally not uniformly distributed but has an angular distribution, depending on both the spin-dependent nuclear interaction and the nuclear symmetry energy. To extract the information of the deformed neutron skin, we have explored the possibility of using free spectator nucleons in central tip-tip and body-body collisions at top RHIC energy with four typical deformed nuclei. The density distributions of neutrons and protons are consistently obtained from the Skyrme-Hartree-Fock-Bogolyubov calculation, and the angular distribution of the neutron skin can…
In peripheral heavy-ion collisions at ultra-relativistic energies, usually only parts of the colliding nuclei effectively interact with each other. In the overlapping zone, a fireball or quark-gluon plasma is produced. The excitation energy of the heavy remnant can range from a few tens to several hundreds of MeV, depending on the impact parameter. The decay of these excited spectators is investigated in this work for the first time within a dynamical approach based on the multi-dimensional stochastic Langevin equation. The potential of this exploratory work to understand the connection betwee…
We study the system size dependence of the participant and spectator matter at the energy of vanishing flow for systems having N/Z ratios as 1.0, 1.6 and 2.0. We see a nearly mass independent behaviour of the participant/spectator matter for all the N/Z ratios.
We estimate the electromagnetic effect of the spectator charge on the momentum spectra of $π^+$ and $π^-$ produced in peripheral Pb+Pb collisions at SPS energies. We find that the effect is large and results in strongly varying structures in the $x_F$ dependence of the $π^+/π^-$ ratio, especially at low transverse momenta where a deep valley in the above ratio is predicted at $x_F \sim$ 0.15 -- 0.20. It appears that the effect depends on initial conditions. Thus, it provides new information on the space and time evolution of the non-perturbative pion creation process.
We estimate the electromagnetic effect of the spectator charge on the momentum spectra of charged pions produced in peripheral Pb+Pb collisions at SPS energies. We find a large effect which results in strongly varying structures in the $x_F$ dependence of the $π^+/π^-$ ratio, especially at low transverse momenta where a deep valley in the above ratio is predicted at $x_F \sim$ 0.15 -- 0.20. The effect depends on initial conditions. Thus, it provides new information on the space and time evolution of the non-perturbative pion creation process.
We simulate the central reactions of nearly symmetric, and asymmetric systems, for the energies at which the maximum production of IMFs occurs (E$_{c.m.}^{peak}$).This study is carried out by using hard EOS along with cugnon cross section and employing MSTB method for clusterization. The mass dependence of various quantities (such as average and maximum central density, collision dynamics as well as the time zone for hot and dense nuclear matter) is also presented. In all cases (i.e., average and maximum central density, collision dynamics as well as the time zone for hot and dense nuclear mat…
We analyze the thermodynamical state of nuclear matter in transport calculations of heavy--ion reactions. In particular we determine temperatures and radial flow parameters from an analysis of fragment energy spectra and compare to local microscopic temperatures obtained from an analysis of local momentum space distributions. The analysis shows that the spectator reaches an equilibrated freeze-out configuration which undergoes simultaneous fragmentation. The fragments from the participant region, on the other hand, do not seem to come from a common fragmenting source, but rather heavier fragme…
We consider electron-deuteron deep-inelastic scattering (DIS) with detection of a proton in the nuclear fragmentation region ("spectator tagging") as a method for extracting the free neutron structure functions and studying their nuclear modifications. Such measurements could be performed at a future Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) with suitable forward detectors. The measured proton recoil momentum (~< 100 MeV in the deuteron rest frame) specifies the deuteron configuration during the high-energy process and permits a controlled theoretical treatment of nuclear effects. Nuclear and nucleonic stru…
Understanding the role of Quantum Chromodynamics in generating nuclear forces is important for uncovering the mechanism of short-ranged nuclear interactions and their manifestation in short range correlations (SRC). The future Electron-Ion-Collider (EIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory in the US will provide an unprecedented opportunity to systematically investigate the underlying physics of SRC for energies and kinematic regions that are otherwise impossible to reach. We study SRCs in electron-deuteron scattering events using the Monte Carlo event generator BeAGLE. Specifically, we investig…
We study the formation of large hyper-fragments in relativistic heavy-ion collisions within two transport models, DCM and UrQMD. Our goal is to explore a new mechanism for the formation of strange nuclear systems via capture of hyperons by relatively cold spectator matter produced in semi-peripheral collisions. We investigate basic characteristics of the produced hyper-spectators and evaluate the production probabilities of multi-strange systems. Advantages of the proposed mechanisms over an alternative coalescence mechanism are analysed. We also discuss how such systems can be detected taking…
We simulate the central reactions of nearly symmetric, and asymmetric systems, for the energies at which the maximum production of IMFs occurs (E$_{c.m.}^{peak}$).This study is carried out by using hard EOS along with cugnon cross section and employing MSTB method for clusterization. We study the various properties of fragments. The stability of fragments is checked through persistence coefficient, gain term and binding energy. The information about the thermalization and stopping in heavy-ion collisions is obtained via relative momentum, anisotropy ratio, and rapidity distribution. We find th…
In peripheral high-energy heavy-ion collisions only parts of colliding nuclei interact leading to the production of a fireball. The remnants of such nuclei are called spectators. We estimated the excitation energy as a function of impact parameter. Their excitation energy is of the order of 100 MeV. The dynamical evolution of hot nuclei is described by solving a set of Langevin equations in four-dimensional collective coordinate space. The range of nuclear masses and excitation energies suits very well to ability of our model. Thus for the first time we investigate dynamically the fission and …
Based on the deformed nucleon distributions obtained from the constrained Skyrme-Hartree-Fock-Bogolyubov calculation using different nuclear symmetry energies, we have investigated the effects of the neutron skin and the collision geometry on the yield of free spectator nucleons as well as the yield ratio $N_n/N_p$ of free spectator neutrons to protons in collisions of deformed nuclei at RHIC energies. We found that tip-tip (body-body) collisions with prolate (oblate) nuclei lead to fewest free spectator nucleons, compared to other collision configurations. While the $N_n/N_p$ ratio is sensiti…
The deuteron form factors are calculated using two model wave functions obtained from the 2007 CST high precision fits to $np$ scattering data. Included in the calculation are a new class of isoscalar $np$ interaction currents which are automatically generated by the nuclear force model used in these fits. If the nuclear model WJC2 is used, a precision fit ($χ^2$/datum $\eqsim1$) to the Sick Global Analysis (GA) of all $ed$ elastic scattering data can be obtained by adjusting the unknown off-shell nucleon form factors $F_3(Q^2)$ (discussed before) and $F_4(Q^2)$ (introduced in this paper), and…
I show that the average transverse momentum, $\langle p_t \rangle$, of the hadrons emitted in relativistic nuclear collisions can be used as a ``knob'' to control the strength of the magnetic field induced by the spectator and the participant protons over the overlap region. I thus argue that any observable sensitive to this magnetic field is nontrivially correlated with $\langle p_t \rangle$ at a given collision centrality.
The electromagnetic effects on charged pion ($π^+,π^-$) spectra provide new, independent information on the space-time evolution of the ultrarelativistic heavy ion collision. The spectator life time and its excitation energy may also be of importance for the understanding of the space-time evolution of the participant zone. This paper gives an overview of our coordinated effort to understand the interplay between electromagnetic phenomena and processes related to the fragmentation of the spectator system at forward rapidity in peripheral $Pb$+$Pb$ collisions at top CERN SPS energies. Our study…
We develop a new approach to production of the spectator nucleons in the heavy ion collisions. The energy transfer to the spectator system is calculated using the Monte Carlo based on the updated version of our generator of configurations in colliding nuclei which includes a realistic account of short-range correlations in nuclei. The transferred energy distributions are calculated within the framework of the Glauber multiple scattering theory, taking into account all the individual inelastic and elastic collisions using an independent realistic calculation of the potential energy contribution…
We review our studies of spectator-induced electromagnetic (EM) effects on the emission of charged mesons in the final state of ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions. We argue that these effects offer sensitivity to the distance $d_E$ between the charged meson formation zone at freeze-out and the spectator system. As such, they can serve as an independent, new tool to probe the space-time and longitudinal evolution of the system created in the collision. As a phenomenological application for this tool in the context of resonance production and decay, we obtain a first estimate of the time of …
Using transport theory to model central Au + Au collisions in the energy region of 20 - 110 MeV/u, at impact parameters b <= 5 fm, we predict a measurable impact of spinoidal instability as the collective expansion sets in with energy. Two transport models are employed, the pBUU model, solving a Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck equation, and the Brownian Motion (BM) model, solving a set of Langevin equations to describe the motion of individual nucleons in a noisy nuclear medium. We find without ambiguity, for the first time, that a combination of delayed equilibration, onset of collective expansio…
We briefly review highlights for ultra-relativistic light-heavy collisions (p-Pb, d-Au, 3He-Au, 12C-Au) which display collective evolution, with the same very characteristic features as in the A-A systems.
The beam energy dependence of $v_4$ (the quadrupole moment of the transverse radial flow) is sensitive to the nuclear equation of state (EoS) in mid-central Au + Au collisions at the energy range of $3 < \sqrt{s_{NN}} < 30$ GeV, which is investigated within the hadronic transport model JAM. Different equations of state, namely, a free hadron gas, a first-order phase transition and a crossover are compared. An enhancement of $v_4$ at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}\approx 6$ GeV is predicted for an EoS with a first-order phase transition. This enhanced $v_4$ flow is driven by both the enhancement of $v_2$ as we…
In this talk we review some of our results for the longitudinal correlations in connection with recent experimental data, in particular for the {\em torque} effect and for the two-particle correlations in pseudorapidity, $C(η_1,η_2)$. The model framework involves event-by-event fluctuations of the initial conditions, followed with 3D viscous hydrodynamic evolution and statistical hadronization.
Recently it has been discovered that the elliptic flow, v2, of composite charged particles emitted at midrapidity in Heavy-Ion collisions at intermediate energies shows the strongest sensitivity to the Nuclear Equation of State (EoS) which has been observed up to now within a microscopic model. This dependence on the nuclear EoS is predicted by Quantum Molecular Dynamics (QMD) calculations [1] which show as well that the absorption or rescattering of in-plane emitted particles by the spectator matter is not the main reason for the EoS dependence of the elliptic flow at mid-rapidity but differe…
We investigate the thermodynamical properties of nuclear matter in heavy ion collisions, in particular with respect to questions of thermodynamical instability, phase transitions and fragmentation. For this we analyze results of relativistic transport calculations of Au+Au collisons at intermediate energies, separately for spectator and participant matter. On one hand, we determine local thermodynamical variables from the analysis of the local momentum distribution; on the other, we analyze fragment energy spectra in a blast model scenario. We find that the spectator represents an instable, eq…
We show that an event-shape engineering based on the mean transverse momentum of charged hadrons, $[p_t]$, provides an optimal handle on the strength of the magnetic field created in central heavy-ion collisions at high energy. This is established through quantitative evaluations of the correlation existing between the event-by-event magnetic field produced by the spectator protons in 5.02 TeV Pb+Pb collisions and the event-by-event $[p_t]$ at a given collision centrality. We argue that the event selection based on $[p_t]$ provides a better handle on the magnetic field than the more traditiona…
We study the mass dependence of various quantities (like the average and maximum density, collision rate, participant-spectator matter, temperature as well as time zones for higher density) by simulating the reactions at the energy of vanishing flow. This study is carried out within the framework of Quantum Molecular Dynamics model. Our findings clearly indicate an existence of a power law in all the above quantities calculated at the balance energy. The only significant mass dependence was obtained for the temperature reached in the central sphere. All other quantities are rather either insen…
Transport calculations represent the major tool to simulate the modifications induced by the presence of a hot-deconfined medium on the production of heavy-flavour particles in high-energy nuclear collisions. After a brief description of the approach and of the major achievements in its phenomenological applications we discuss some recent developments. In particular we focus on observables arising from event-by-event fluctuations in the distribution of deposited energy (odd flow harmonics, event-shape-engineering) and from the tilting of the initial geometry with respect to the beam axis (dire…
I describe in very simple terms the theoretical tools needed to investigate ultra-peripheral nuclear reactions for nuclear astrophysics purposes. For a more detailed account, see arXiv:0908.4307.
Extraction of ground-state nuclear deformations from ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions: Nuclear structure physics context
University of York（约克大学）；University of Warsaw（华沙大学）；Michigan State University（密歇根州立大学）；University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill（北卡罗来纳大学教堂山分校）；Duke University（杜克大学）
Within the framework of pQCD, we systematically study the $W^{\pm}/Z^0$ boson production as a probe of cold nuclear matter effects and nuclear parton distributions in p+Pb and Pb+Pb collisions at the LHC and future colliders. A detailed analysis at partonic level is performed. Moreover, with a semi-microscopic KP model of NPDFs, in which several nuclear effects (e.g. Fermi motion and nuclear binding, the off-shell correction, the nuclear coherent correction, and the nuclear meson correction) are included, we study the vector boson rapidity distribution in p+Pb collisions at the LHC, and a very…
Highly excited nuclear matter created in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions possibly reaches the phase of quark deconfinement. It quickly cools down and hadronises. We explain that the process of hadronisation may likely be connected with disintegration into fragments. Observable signals of such a scenario are proposed.
In ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions, charm quark fragmentation is modified due to the melting of strings inside the high density partonic matter. D mesons produced in hadronization can further produce J/psi particles. Using a multiphase transport model, we investigate the effect on the rapidity distribution of the produced J/psi particles with two different charm quark fragmentation functions. It is shown that the J/psi rapidity distribution is sensitive to the nuclear modification of charm quark fragmentation and thus is a good indicator of the onset of string melting and the production…
We present a novel method for sorting events. So far, single variables like flow vector magnitude were used for sorting events. Our approach takes into account the whole azimuthal angle distribution rather than a single variable. This method allows us to determine the good measure of the event shape, providing a multiplicity-independent insight. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this approach, the possible usage in femtoscopy, and other more exclusive experimental studies.
In this article we investigate the influence of nuclear effects in the production of gluinos in nuclear collisions at the LHC, and estimate the transverse momentum dependence of the nuclear ratios $R_{pA} = {\frac{dσ(pA)}{dy d^2 p_T}} / A {\frac{dσ(pp)}{dy d^2 p_T}}$ and $R_{AA} = {\frac{dσ(AA)}{dy d^2 p_T}} / A^2 {\frac{dσ(pp)}{dy d^2 p_T}}$. We demonstrate that depending on the magnitude of the nuclear effects, the production of gluinos could be enhanced, compared to proton-proton collisions. The study of these observables can be useful to determine the magnitude of the shadowing and antisha…
We present a phenomenological model for the initial conditions needed in a one-fluid hydrodynamical description of ultrarelativistic nuclear collisions at CERN--SPS. The basic ingredient is the parametrization of the baryon stopping, i.e. the rapidity distribution, as a function of the thickness of the nuclei. We apply the model to S + S and Pb + Pb collisions and find after hydrodynamical evolution reasonable agreement with the data.
We compute the centrality dependence of multiplicities of particles produced in ultrarelativistic nuclear collisions at various energies and atomic numbers. The computation is carried out in perturbative QCD with saturated densities of produced gluons and by including effects of nuclear geometry. Numbers are given for Au+Au collisions at RHIC energies.
Large-distance ultraperipheral collisions of two relativistic ions are considered. The clouds of photons surrounding the ions are responsible for their distant electromagnetic interaction. The perturbative approach and the method of equivalent photons are described. It is shown that the total cross section of these collisions increases rapidly with increasing energy and is especially large for heavy ions. Some experimental data and their comparison with theoretical approaches are described. Further proposals are discussed.
A model for description of the s_{NN}^{1/2} dependence of K+/pi+ ratio at the CERN SPS and upper AGS energies is proposed. It uses hadronic degrees of freedom and the amount of produced strangeness is mainly controlled by the total lifetime of the fireball. Decreasing lifetime with increasing collision energy is conjectured.
Are heavy quarks produced thermally or only by hard parton collisions? What is the probability that a produced heavy quark or antiquark is observed in a given resonance?
Anisotropies of hadronic distribution in nuclear collisions are used for determination of properties of the nuclear matter. At the LHC it is important to account for the contribution to the flow due to momentum transferred from hard partons to the quark-gluon plasma.
We analyze the thermodynamical state of nuclear matter in transport descriptions of heavy ion reactions. We determine thermodynamical variables from an analysis of local momentum space distributions and compare to blast model parameters from an analysis of fragment energy spectra. These descriptions are applied to spectator and fireball matter in semi-central and central Au+Au collisions at SIS-energies, respectively.
We investigate the transition from suppression to enhancement of J/psi mesons produced in ultra-relativistic nuclear collisions in the framework of the statistical hadronization model. The calculations are confronted with the most recent data from the RHIC accelerator. This comparison yields first direct evidence for generation of J/psi mesons at the phase boundary. Based on the success of this approach we make specific predictions for LHC energy.
After a brief review of the various scenarios for quarkonium production in ultra-relativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions we focus on the ingredients and assumptions underlying the statistical hadronization model. We then confront model predictions for J/$ψ$ phase space distributions with the most recent data from the RHIC accelerator. Analysis of the rapidity dependence of the J/$ψ$ nuclear modification factor yields first evidence for the production of J/$ψ$ mesons at the phase boundary. We conclude with predictions for charmonium production at the LHC.
I estimate the degree of local chemical equilibration for $π$, $ρ$ and $ω$ mesons in ultra--relativistic nuclear collisions. The $π$ and $ρ$ mesons remain near chemical equilibrium in all cases, while the $ω$ meson density is typically 30--50\% higher than the equilibrium value for O+Ag collisions at $\sqrt{s}=20$ GeV. If chemical reactions are turned off, the $ω$ meson density is much larger, 2.5--3 times its equilibrium value. Thus, $ω$ mesons may provide the most sensitive tests for the degree of chemical equilibration in nuclear collisions.
We explore the correspondence between classical gluon radiation and quantum radiation in a coherent state for gluons produced in ultrarelativistic nuclear collisions. The expectation value of the invariant momentum distribution of gluons in the coherent state is found to agree with the gluon number distribution obtained classically from the solution of the Yang-Mills equations. A criterion for the applicability of the coherent state formalism to the problem of radiation in ultrarelativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions is discussed. This criterion is found to be fulfilled for midrapidity gluons …
While string models describe initial state radiation in ultra-relativistic nuclear collisions well, they mainly differ in their end-point positions of the strings in spatial rapidity. We present a generic model where wounded constituents are amended with strings whose both end-point positions fluctuate and analyze semi-analytically various scenarios of string-end-point fluctuations. In particular we constrain the different cases to experimental data on rapidity spectra from collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=200$~GeV, and explore their respective two-body correlations, which allows to partially …
The number of hydrogen-like atoms produced when heavy nuclei collide is estimated for central collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider using the sudden approximation of Baym et al. As first suggested by Schwartz, a simultaneous measurement of the hydrogen and hadron spectra will allow an inference of the electron or muon spectra at low momentum where a direct experimental measurement is not feasible.
