Production of Light Nuclei in Au+Au Collisions with the STAR BES-II Program

Abstract

The yields and ratios of light nuclei in heavy-ion collisions offer a method to distinguish between the thermal and coalescence models. Ratios such as $\rm N_t \times N_p/N_d^2$ and $\rm N_{^3He} \times N_p/N_d^2$ are suggested as potential probes to investigate critical phenomena within the QCD phase diagram. The significantly larger datasets from STAR BES-II compared to BES-I, combined with enhanced detector capabilities, allow for more precise measurements. In this proceeding, we present the centrality and energy dependence of transverse momentum spectra and particle yields of (anti-)proton, (anti-)deuteron, and $\rm ^3He$ at BES-II energies ($\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = $7.7 - 27$ GeV), as well as the light nuclei to proton yield ratios and coalescence parameters $(B_2(\rm d)$ and $B_3(\rm ^3He))$.