SearcharxivSearch

arXiv · 0901.1884

What we have (not)learned from the ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions

Abstract

The field of ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions is today a flourishing activity both on the experimental and on the theoretical side. Although the theoretical justifications to study these collisions was given already more than three decades ago and the experimental studies have a history of more than 25 years we are still very much in the dark as to the details of the processes and of the characteristics of the matter created in collisions. Increasing the energy of collisions has brought new insights but has also resulted with new challenges. In the present paper I will try from a personal perspective to report on the answers we have collected and on the problems we are faced with. The account is partial, taking into account that it is impossible to render justice to every aspect of the field.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

BibTeXRIS

G. Paic. 2009-01-13. What we have (not)learned from the ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3131543

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

Reinvestigation of the Yield of the Trinity Device

Previous published analyses of trinitite to determine the yield of the Trinity nuclear explosion used various estimates of the fraction of fission products that became incorporated in trinitite. Furthermore, these studies utilized nuclear data that has subsequently been revised. Utilizing a planar germanium detector, we observed gamma rays produced by the decays of both 137Cs and 239Pu from four samples of trinitite. From the observed 137Cs/239Pu ratios of and a simple analysis method based on current nuclear data and weapons debris studies, we find an average yield of 9.1+-4.5 kilotons from our four samples. While this result is substantially lower than the established total yield of 21 kilotons, it is in reasonable agreement that attributable to fissions in the 239Pu core alone.

nucl-ex

Search for neutrinoless quadruple beta decay of $^{136}$Xe in PandaX-4T detector

The observation of neutrinoless quadruple beta decay (0$\nu$4$\beta$) in the absence of neutrinoless double beta decay (0$\nu$2$\beta$) has been argued to provide a strong indication that neutrinos are Dirac particles. We report a search for 0$\nu$4$\beta$ decay of $^{136}\text{Xe}$ using a total $^{136}\text{Xe}$ exposure of 148.4 kg$\cdot$yr, collected during the commissioning and the first science runs of the PandaX-4T experiment. No significant excess of events over the background is observed. A lower limit on the 0$\nu$4$\beta$ decay half-life of $^{136}\text{Xe}$ is set at 6.01 x $10^{24}$ yr at the 90% confidence level. This result establishes the most stringent constraint on this process in xenon, demonstrating the unique capability of the PandaX-4T detector in probing lepton number violation and shedding light on the fundamental nature of neutrinos.

nucl-ex

Island of Inversion in neutron-rich cobalt isotopes revealed from mass measurements

Mass measurements of the ground and isomeric states of $^{68-70}$Co have been performed using the JYFLTRAP Penning-trap mass spectrometer at the IGISOL facility. The masses were measured, either for the first time for the isomeric states of $^{68}$Co and $^{70}$Co, or with greatly improved precision for the others, removing ambiguities in the mass surface beyond $N=40$. The ordering of the low and high-spin states in $^{68}$Co and $^{70}$Co has also been established. The results, supported by Large-Scale Shell Model and Discrete Non-Orthogonal Shell-Model calculations, show a gradual lowering of intruder states with increasing neutron number, eventually leading to an inversion in $^{70}$Co. These findings clarify previously proposed contradictory interpretations. Finally, we demonstrate the importance of including induced effective 3N forces for a consistent description of binding energies in the island of inversion near $N=40$.

nucl-ex