The dynamics of exotic hypernuclei in heavy-ion collisions has been investigated thoroughly with a microscopic transport model. All possible channels on hyperon ($Λ$, $Σ$ and $Ξ$) production near threshold energies are implemented in the transport model. The light complex fragments (Z$\leq$2) are constructed with the Wigner-function method. The classical phase-space coalescence is used for recognizing heavy nuclear and hyperfragments and the statistical model is taken for describing the decay process. The nuclear fragmentation reactions of the available experimental data from the ALADIN collaboration are well reproduced by the combined approach. It is found that the in-medium potentials of strange particles influence the strangeness production and fragment formation. The hyperfragments are mainly created in the projectile or target-like rapidity region and the yields are reduced about the 3-order magnitude in comparison to the nuclear fragments. The hypernuclear dynamics of HypHI data is well described with the model. The possible experiments for producing the neutron-rich hyperfragments at the high-intensity heavy-ion accelerator facility (HIAF) are discussed.
In this paper, we presented the ground state energies calculated for some single and double cascade hyperon($Ξ^{-}$) hypernuclei. For hypernuclei of the type $_Ξ^{A_c+1}$X we applied $Ξ+^A_c$X two-body model and for hypernuclei of the type $_{ΞΞ}^{A_c+2}$X we adopted $Ξ+Ξ+^A_c$X three-body model. A two-term Gaussian (Isle type) potential with adjustable parameters is chosen as the $Ξ$-nucleus interaction, while a two-term Yukawa-type potential has been chosen for the $ΞΞ$ pair. In the three-body model calculation, we adopted the hyperspherical harmonics expansion (HHE) formalism. The resulting…
Bound state properties of few single and double-$Λ$ hypernuclei is critically examined in the framework of core-$Λ$ and core+$Λ+Λ$ few-body model applying hyperspherical harmonics expansion method (HHEM). The $ΛΛ$ potential is chosen phenomenologically while the core-$Λ$ potential is obtained by folding a phenomenological $ΛN$ interaction into the density distribution of the core. The depth of the effective $ΛN$ potential is adjusted to reproduce the experimental data for the core-$Λ$ subsystem. The three-body Schrödinger equation is solved by hyperspherical adiabatic approximation (HAA) to ge…
Pioneering experiments on production of hypernuclei can be performed with nuclotron beams on fixed targets, and at the future NICA facility. The peripheral collisions of relativistic ions are very promising for searching mutli-strange and exotic hypernuclei which are not easy accessible with other experimental methods. In these experiments one can also get information on the Equation of State of hyper-matter around nuclear saturation density at low and moderate temperatures.
Within the microscopic transport, systematic investigation of the many facets of hyperons and hypernuclei up to strangeness $S = -2$ are carried out for $^{197}$Au + $^{197}$Au and $^{40}$Ca + $^{40}$Ca at the incident energy of $3A$ GeV. The spatial, temporal and density distributions of hyperon production, absorption and freeze-out are thoroughly investigated. The rapidity and kinetic energy spectra of $Ξ$ hyperons and double $Λ$ hypernuclei are analyzed. It is revealed that the chemical balance of hyperon production is established in baryon-baryon channels while the opposite is found in bar…
The canonical thermodynamic model has been used frequently to describe the disassembly of hot nuclear matter consisting of neutrons and protons. Such matter is formed in intermediate energy heavy ion collisions. Here we extend the method to include, in addition to neutrons and protons, lambda particles. This allows us to include productions of hypernuclei in intermediate energy heavy ion collisions. We can easily predict average mass number of hypernuclei produced and values of relative cross-sections of different hypernuclei. Computation of absolute cross-section was not attempted at this sta…
The energies of baryon states with positive strangeness, or anti-charm (-beauty) are estimated in chiral soliton approach, in the "rigid oscillator" version of the bound state soliton model proposed by Klebanov and Westerberg. Positive strangeness states can appear as relatively narrow nuclear levels (Theta-hypernuclei), the states with heavy anti-flavors can be bound with respect to strong interactions in the original Skyrme variant of the model (SK4 variant). The binding energies of anti-flavored states are estimated also in the variant of the model with 6-th order term in chiral derivatives…
The relativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions can produce hypernuclei and low-temperature hyper-matter as a result of hyperon capture by nuclear residues and free nucleons. We use the transport, coalescence and statistical models to describe the whole process, and point at the important advantages of such reactions: A broad variety of formed hypernuclei in masses and isospin allows for investigating properties of exotic hypernuclei, as well as the hypermatter both at high and low temperatures. The abundant production of multi-strange nuclei that can give an access to multi-hyperon systems and st…
We present the novel microscopic n-body dynamical transport approach PHQMD(Parton-Hadron-Quantum-Molecular-Dynamics) for the description of particle production and cluster formation in heavy-ion reactions at relativistic energies. The PHQMD extends the established PHSD (Parton-Hadron-String-Dynamics) transport approach by replacing the mean field by density dependent two body interactions in a similar way as in the Quantum Molecular Dynamics (QMD) models. This allows for the calculation of the time evolution of the n-body Wigner density and therefore for a dynamical description of clusters and…
Within a dynamical and statistical approach we study the main regularities in production of hypernuclei coming from projectile and target residues in relativistic ion collisions. We demonstrate that yields of hypernuclei increase considerably above the energy threshold for Lambda hyperons, and there is a saturation for yields of single hypernuclei with increasing the beam energy up to few TeV. Production of specific hypernuclei depend very much on the isotopic composition of the projectile, and this gives a chance to obtain exotic hypernuclei that may be difficult to reach in traditional hyper…
Ion-ion collisions at relativistic energies have been shown recently to be a promising technique for the production of hypernuclei. In this article, we further investigate the production of light $Λ$ hypernuclei by use of a hybrid dynamical model, cascade-coalescence followed by Fermi breakup. The predictions are then compared with the available experimental data. The dependence of the production cross section upon the beam energy, beam mass number as well as different projectile-target combinations is investigated. In particular, we evaluate the yields and signal-over-background ratio in the …
There are excellent opportunities to produce excited heavy hyper residues in relativistic hadron and peripheral heavy-ion collisions. We investigate the disintegration of such residues into hyper nuclei via evaporation of baryons and light clusters and their fission. Previously these processes were well known for normal nuclei as the decay channels at low excitation energies. We have generalized these models for the case of hyper-matter. In this way we make extension of nuclear reaction studies at low temperature into the strange sector. We demonstrate how the new decay channels can be integra…
We propose a novel method for producing very-neutron-rich hypernuclei and corresponding resonance states by employing charge-exchange reactions via pp($^{12}$C, $^{12}$N $K^+$)n$Λ$ with single-charge-exchange and ppp($^{9}$Be, $^{9}$C $K^+$)nn$Λ$ with double-charge-exchange, both of which produce $ΛK^+$ in a target nucleus. The feasibility of producing very-neutron-rich hypernuclei using the proposed method was analysed by applying an ultra-relativistic quantum molecular dynamics model to a $^6$Li+$^{12}$C reaction at 2 $A$ GeV. The yields of very-neutron-rich hypernuclei, signal-to-background…
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 relativistic ion collisions there are excellent opportunities to produce and investigate hyper-nuclei. We have systematically studied the formation of hypernuclear spectator residues in peripheral heavy-ion collisions with the transport DCM and UrQMD models. The hyperon capture was calculated within the potential and coalescence approaches. We demonstrate that even at the beam energies around and lower than the threshold for producing Lambda hyperons in binary nucleon-nucleon interactions a considerable amount of hypernuclei, including multi-strange ones, can be produced. This is important …
Modeling of the process of the formation of nuclear clusters in the hot nuclear matter is a challenging task. We present the novel n-body dynamical transport approach - PHQMD (Parton-Hadron-Quantum-Molecular Dynamics) [1] for the description of heavy-ion collisions as well as clusters and hpernuclei formation. The PHQMD extends well established PHSD (Parton-Hadron-String Dynamics) approach - which incorporates explicit partonic degrees-of-freedom (quarks and gluons), an equation-of-state from lattice QCD, as well as dynamical hadronization and hadronic elastic and inelastic collisions in the f…
We investigate the formation of fragments with strangeness degrees of freedom in proton- and heavy-ion-induced reactions at high relativistic energies. The model used is a combination of a dynamical transport model and a statistical approach of fragment formation. We discuss in detail the applicability and limitations of such a hybrid model by comparing data on spectator fragmentation at relativistic $SIS/GSI$-energies. The theoretical results are analyzed in terms of spectator fragmentation with strangeness degrees of freedom such as the production of single-$Λ-{}^{3,4,5}He$ hypernuclei. We p…
We present a new algorithm to identify fragments in computer simulations of relativistic heavy ion collisions. It is based on the simulated annealing technique and can be applied to n-body transport models like the Quantum Molecular Dynamics. This new approach is able to predict isotope yields as well as hyper-nucleus production. In order to illustrate its predicting power, we confront this new method to experimental data, and show the sensitivity on the parameters which govern the cluster formation.
A comparison of light hypernuclei production, from UrQMD+coalescence and the thermal model, in heavy ion collisions over a wide range of beam energies and system sizes is presented. We find that both approaches provide generally similar results, with differences in specific details. Especially the ratios of hypertriton to $Λ$ are affected by both the source radius $Δr$ of the coalescence procedure as well as canonical effects. On the other hand, the double ratio $S_3$ is almost independent of canonical effects, which is in contrast to coalescence. Thus, both the beam energy dependence and cent…
Within a combined approach we investigate the main features of the production of hyper-fragments in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. The formation of hyperons is modelled within the UrQMD and HSD transport codes. To describe the hyperon capture by nucleons and nuclear residues a coalescence of baryons (CB) model was developed. We demonstrate that the origin of hypernuclei of various masses can be explained by typical baryon interactions, and that it is similar to processes leading to the production of conventional nuclei. At high beam energies we predict a saturation of the yields of all hyp…
A data-driven idea is presented to test if light nuclei and hypernuclei obey the coalescence-inspired sum rule, i.e., to test if the flow of a light nucleus or hypernucleus is the summed flow of each of its constituents. Here, the mass difference and charge difference among the constituents of light nuclei and hypernuclei are treated appropriately. The idea is applied to the available data for $\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 3$ GeV fixed-target Au+Au collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), published by the STAR collaboration. It is found that the sum rule for light nuclei is approximately v…
Sequential Clusterization of Light Nuclei and Hypernuclei in Heavy-Ion Collisions within a Wigner Function Coalescence Framework
Central China Normal University（华中师范大学）；University of Heidelberg（海德堡大学）；Johann Wolfgang Goethe University（约翰·沃尔夫冈·歌德大学）；GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research（GSI亥姆霍兹重离子研究中心）
We study the production of (hyper-)nuclei and di-baryons in most central heavy Ion collisions at energies of $E_{lab}=1-160 A$ GeV. In particular we are interested in clusters produced from the hot and dense fireball. The formation rate of strange and non-strange clusters is estimated by assuming thermal production from the intermediate phase of the UrQMD-hydro hybrid model and alternatively by the coalescence mechanism from a hadronic cascade model. Both model types are compared in detail. For most energies we find that both approaches agree in their predictions for the yields of the clusters…
Cluster and hypernuclei production in heavy-ion collisions is presently under active experimental and theoretical investigation. Since clusters are weekly bound objects, their production is very sensitive to the dynamical evolution of the system and its interactions. The theoretical description of cluster formation is related to the n-body problem. Here we present the novel n-body dynamical transport approach PHQMD (Parton-Hadron-Quantum-Molecular Dynamics) which is designed to provide a microscopic description of nuclear cluster and hypernucleus formation as well as of general particle produc…
We estimate the production cross sections of hypernuclei in projectile like fragment (PLF) in heavy ion collisions. The discussed scenario for the formation cross section of hypernucleus is: (a) Lambda particles are produced in the participant region but have a considerable rapidity spread and (b) Lambda with rapidity close to that of the PLF and total momentum (in the rest system of PLF) up to Fermi motion can then be trapped and produce hypernuclei. The process (a) is considered here within Heavy Ion Jet Interacting Generator HIJING-BBbar model and the process (b) in the canonical thermodyna…
Even though lots of $Λ$-hypernuclei have been found and measured, multi-strangeness hypernuclei consisting of $Ω$ are not yet discovered. The studies of multi-strangeness hypernuclei help us further understand the interaction between hyperons and nucleons. Recently the $ΩN$ and $ΩΩ$ interactions as well as binding energies were calculated by the HAL-QCD's lattice Quantum Chromo-Dynamics (LQCD) simulations and production rates of $Ω$-dibaryon in Au + Au collisions at RHIC and Pb + Pb collisions at LHC energies were estimated by a coalescence model. The present work discusses the production of m…
The formation of hypernuclei in hadron-induced reactions and in heavy-ion collisions within a combination of a covariant transport model and a statistical fragmentation approach is investigated. We study the applicability and limitations of such a hybrid approach by comparing fragmentation data in heavy-ion collisions and proton induced reactions. It turns out that the combined approach describes fairly well multiplicities and momentum spectra of fragments. We thus extend the model by including strangeness degrees of freedom in the fragmentation process, modeled by a phase-space coalescence me…
The production of strangeness on the nucleon and hyperon and hypernuclear production in heavy ion collisions at relativistic energies and in antiproton annihilation on nuclei is discussed. The reaction process is described by transport theory with focus on $S=-2$ channels and a comparison of different model interactions. The interactions of hyperons in nuclear matter is investigated in a novel SU(3) approach. An outlook to the $S=-3$ sector and $Ω^-$ physics is given.
The fragmentation of excited hypernuclear system formed in heavy ion collisions has been described by the canonical thermodynamical model extended to three component systems. The multiplicity distribution of the fragments has been analyzed in detail and it has been observed that the hyperons have the tendency to get attached to the heavier fragments. Another important observation is the phase coexistence of the hyperons, a phenomenon which is linked to liquid gas phase transition in strange matter.
We discuss the exotic hadron structure and hadron-hadron interactions in view of heavy ion collisions. First, we demonstrate that a hadronic molecule with a large spatial size would be produced more abundantly in the coalescence model compared with the statistical model result. Secondly, we constrain the Lambda-Lambda interaction by using the recently measured Lambda-Lambda correlation data. We find that the RHIC-STAR data favor the Lambda-Lambda scattering parameters in the range 1/a_0 <= -0.8 fm^{-1} and r_{eff} >= 3 fm.
New reaction mechanisms occurring in heavy ion collisions at low energy (10- 30 MeV/A) are investigated within the Stochastic Mean Field model. We concentrate on the analysis of ternary breakup events, of dynamical origin, occurring in semi-central reactions, where the formation of excited systems in various conditions of shape and angular momentum is observed. We show how this fragmentation mode, which can be considered as a precursor of the neck emission observed at higher beam energies, emerges from the combined action of surface (neck) instabilities and angular momentum effects. Interestin…
We examine the properties of both forms of strange matter, small lumps of strange quark matter (strangelets) and of strange hadronic matter (Metastable Exotic Multihypernuclear Objects: MEMOs) and their relevance for present and future heavy ion searches. The strong and weak decays are discussed separately to distinguish between long-lived and short-lived candidates where the former ones are detectable in present heavy ion experiments while the latter ones in future heavy ion experiments, respectively. We find some long-lived strangelet candidates which are highly negatively charged with a mas…
We study cluster and hypernuclei production in heavy-ion collisions at relativistic energies employing the Parton-Hadron-Quantum-Molecular-Dynamics (PHQMD) approach, a microscopic n-body transport model based on the QMD propagation of the baryonic degrees of freedom with density dependent 2-body potential interactions. All other ingredients of PHQMD, including the collision integral and the treatment of the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) phase, are adopted from the Parton-Hadron-String Dynamics (PHSD) approach. In PHQMD the cluster formation occurs dynamically, caused by the interactions. The cluste…
We present cluster decay studies of $^{56}$Ni$^*$ formed in heavy-ion collisions using different Skyrme forces. Our study reveals that different Skyrme forces do not alter the transfer structure of fractional yields significantly. The cluster decay half-lives of different clusters lies within \pm 10% for PCM and \pm 15% for UFM.
Recent experiments at RHIC and LHC have demonstrated that there are excellent opportunities to produce light baryonic clusters of exotic matter (strange and anti-matter) in ultra-relativistic ion collisions. Within the hybrid-transport model UrQMD we show that the coalescence mechanism can naturally explain the production of these clusters in the ALICE experiment at LHC. As a consequence of this mechanism we predict the rapidity domains where the yields of such clusters are much larger than the observed one at midrapidity. This new phenomenon can lead to unique methods for producing exotic nuc…
We study the production of clusters and hypernuclei at midrapidity employing the Parton-Hadron-Quantum-Molecular-Dynamics (PHQMD) approach, a microscopic n-body transport model based on the QMD propagation of the baryonic degrees of freedom with density dependent 2-body potential interactions. In PHQMD the cluster formation occurs dynamically, caused by the interactions. The clusters are recognized by the Minimum Spanning Tree (MST) algorithm. We present the PHQMD results for cluster and hypernuclei formation in comparison with the available experimental data at relativistic energies. PHQMD al…
We investigate the possibilities of using measurements in present and future experiments on heavy ion collisions to answer some longstanding problems in hadronic physics, namely identifying hadronic molecular states and exotic hadrons with multiquark components. The yields of a selected set of exotic hadron candidates in relativistic heavy ion collisions are discussed in the coalescence model in comparison with the statistical model. We find that the yield of a hadron is typically an order of magnitude smaller when it is a compact multiquark state, compared to that of an excited hadronic state…
Discriminating hadronic molecular and multi-quark states is a long standing problem in hadronic physics. We propose here to utilize relativistic heavy ion collisions to resolve this problem, as exotic hadron yields are expected to be strongly affected by their structures. Using the coalescence model, we find that the exotic hadron yield relative to the statistical model result is typically an order of magnitude smaller for a compact multi-quark state, and larger by a factor of two or more for a loosely bound hadronic molecule. We further find that some of the newly proposed heavy exotic states…
We present cluster decay studies of $^{56}$Ni$^*$ formed in heavy-ion collisions using different Fermi density and nuclear radius parameters proposed by various authors. Our study reveals that different technical parameters do not alter the transfer structure of fractional yields significantly. The cluster decay half-lives of different clusters lies within $\pm$10% for different Fermi density parameters and nuclear radius, therefore, justify the current set of parameters used in the literature for the calculations of cluster decay.
We investigate the production of exotic tetraquarks, $QQ\bar{q}\bar{q} \equiv T_{QQ}$ ($Q=c$ or $b$ and $q=u$ or $d$), in relativistic heavy-ion collisions using the quark coalescence model. The $T_{QQ}$ yield is given by the overlap of the density matrix of the constituents in the emission source with the Wigner function of the produced tetraquark. The tetraquark wave function is obtained from exact solutions of the four-body problem using realistic constituent models. The production yields are typically one order of magnitude smaller than previous estimations based on simplified wave functio…
We investigate the production and absorption of $Z_b (10610)$ and $Z_b ^{\prime}(10650)$ states in a hadronic medium, via the processes $\bar{B}^{(*)} B^{(*)} \rightarrow πZ_b ^{(\prime)} $ and the corresponding inverses reactions. We use effective field Lagrangians based on an $SU(4)$-extension of the hidden gauge formalism to account for the couplings between light and heavy mesons, and a phenomenological Lagrangian involving the $ B^{\ast} B^{(\ast)} Z_b ^{(\prime)}$ vertices. The absorption cross sections are found to be much larger than the production ones.
GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH（GSI亥姆霍兹重离子研究中心）；Heidelberg University（海德堡大学）；Institut für Kernphysik, Max-von-Laue-Str. 1, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany（马克斯·冯·劳厄街1号核物理研究所）；Joint Institute for Nuclear Research（联合核研究所）；SUBATECH, Nantes University, IMT Atlantique, IN2P3/CNRS（南特大学SUBATECH中心）；Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies（法兰克福高等研究所）；Johann Wolfgang Goethe University（约翰·沃尔夫冈·歌德大学）；Central China Normal University（华中师范大学）；Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院）；Huzhou University（湖州学院）
Accessing Exotic Hadronic States via Charmed-Meson Femtoscopy in Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collisions
Helmholtz Research Academy Hesse for FAIR (HFHF)（黑森FAIR亥姆霍兹研究学院）；GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Physics（GSI重离子物理亥姆霍兹中心）；Institut für Theoretische Physik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität（约翰·沃尔夫冈·歌德大学理论物理研究所）；GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH（GSI重离子研究亥姆霍兹有限公司）；SUBATECH, Nantes University, IMT Atlantique, IN2P3/CNRS（南特大学SUBATECH实验室（隶属于IMT大西洋、IN2P3/CNRS））；Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies（法兰克福高等研究院）
The series of Uranium isotopes with $N=154 \sim 172$ around the magic number N=162/164 are identified to be thermally fissile. The thermal neutron fission of a typical representative $^{249}$U of this region amenable to synthesis in the radioactive ion beam facilities is considered here. Semiempirical study of fission barrier height and width shows this nucleus to be infinitely stable against spontaneous fission due to increase in barrier width arising out of excess neutrons. Calculation of probability of fragment mass yields and microscopic study in relativistic mean field theory, show this n…
We propose a dynamical mechanism which provides an interaction between the spins of hyperons and antihyperons and the vorticity of the baryon current in noncentral high energy nuclear collisions. The interaction is mediated by massive vector and scalar bosons which is well known to describe the nuclear spin-orbit force. It follows from the Foldy-Wouthuysen transformation and leads to a strong-interaction Zeeman effect. The interaction may explain the difference in polarizations of $Λ$ and $\barΛ$ hyperons as measured by the STAR Collaboration at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The sig…
Identifying hadronic molecular states and/or hadrons with multi-quark components either with or without exotic quantum numbers is a long standing challenge in hadronic physics. We suggest that studying the production of these hadrons in relativistic heavy ion collisions offer a promising resolution to this problem as yields of exotic hadrons are expected to be strongly affected by their structures. Using the coalescence model for hadron production, we find that compared to the case of a non-exotic hadron with normal quark numbers, the yield of an exotic hadron is typically an order of magnitud…
Heavy ion collisions (HIC) at high energies are excellent ways for producing heavy hadrons and composite particles. With upgraded detectors at RHIC and LHC, it has become possible to measure hadrons beyond their ground states. Therefore, HIC provide a new method for studying exotic hadrons that are either hadronic molecular states or compact multiquark systems. Because their structures are related to the fundamental properties of QCD, studying exotic hadrons is currently one of the most active areas of research in hadron physics. Experiments carried out at various accelerator facilities have i…
We propose a novel method for studying the production of anticentauro events in high energy heavy ion collisions utilizing Chebyshev expansion coefficients. These coefficients have proved to be very efficient in investigating the pattern of fluctuations in neutral pion fraction. For the anticentauro like events, the magnitude of first few coefficients is strongly enhanced (~3 times) as compared to those of normal HIJING events. Various characteristics of Chebyshev coefficients are studied in detail and the probability of formation of exotic events is calculated from the simulated events.
The existence of an exotic long-lived negatively charged massive particle, i.e., X-, during big bang nucleosynthesis can affect primordial light element abundances. Especially, the final abundance of 7Li, mainly originating from the electron capture of 7Be, has been suggested to reduce by the 7Be destruction via the radiative X- capture of 7Be followed by the radiative proton capture of the bound state of 7Be and X- (7BeX). We suggest a new route of 7BeX formation, that is the 7Be charge exchange at the reaction of 7Be3+ ion and X-. The formation rate depends on the number fraction of 7Be3+ io…
