Searcharxiv⌕ Search
Home/Archive/arXiv

arXiv · 2603.21764

Comparing EPOS-4, EPOS-LHC, and SMASH for identified-hadron observables in the NICA energy range

Murad Badshah·Haifa I. Alrebdi·Sana Raza Khan·Muhammad Ajaz
View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

We present a systematic simulation study of identified hadron production in minimum bias Au+Au collisions at sqrt(sNN) = 6, 7, and 8 GeV. The event samples were generated with three modern frameworks based on different microscopic pictures: EPOS-LHC, EPOS-4, and the purely hadronic transport model SMASH. We compare observables that probe baryon stopping, transverse dynamics, hadron formation, and strangeness production: rapidity densities dN/dy, transverse momentum spectra dN/dpT, two dimensional pT-y distributions, v2/nq versus pT/nq, and the yield ratios pi-/pi+, K-/K+, pbar/p, K+/pi+, K-/pi-, p/pi+, and Lambda/pi+. For charged and neutral pions, the three models give broadly similar yields and spectral shapes in both dN/dy and dN/dpT. At these energies, resonance decays and isospin constraints reduce the sensitivity to early stage dynamics. In contrast, strange mesons and baryons remain strongly model dependent. EPOS-4 gives the largest midrapidity K+ and Lambda yields and the hardest kaon and strange baryon pT spectra. EPOS-LHC is generally intermediate, while SMASH gives lower strange hadron production. The two dimensional pT-y maps show that the EPOS models populate higher pT over a broader rapidity range. For NCQ scaled elliptic flow, the best approximate scaling is seen in EPOS-LHC, while SMASH and EPOS-4 show only partial scaling. This suggests that EPOS-LHC carries a more coherent partonic anisotropy to the hadronic stage in this energy range. Overall, the model separation grows from 6 to 8 GeV. The clearest discriminators in the NICA domain are intermediate pT baryon to meson ratios, Lambda/pi+, the rapidity dependence of pT, the pT dependence of K-/K+, and NCQ scaled v2.

Explore related subjects

hep-ph

Keep this discovery

BibTeXRIS

Murad Badshah, Haifa I. Alrebdi, Sana Raza Khan, Muhammad Ajaz. 2026-03-23. Comparing EPOS-4, EPOS-LHC, and SMASH for identified-hadron observables in the NICA energy range. https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.21764

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

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

arXiv2026

Axionic Wormholes in Metric-Affine Gravity

The axion is a promising candidate for solving the strong CP problem. To solve this problem, the global U(1) symmetry must be preserved to a high degree of accuracy. However, it is well known that global symmetries are explicitly violated by quantum gravity effects, giving rise to what is referred to as the axion quality problem. In this paper, we investigate axionic wormholes as a source of explicit U(1) violation in Metric-Affine Gravity. This framework allows for spacetime torsion and non-metricity, which accommodate additional curvature-like and topological terms, such as the Holst and Nieh--Yan terms, that are absent from the metric and Palatini formalisms. We show that non-minimal couplings to these terms modify the wormhole dynamics and enhance the Euclidean wormhole action, thereby alleviating the axion quality problem. We also find that the viable parameter space is enlarged when two of these couplings are simultaneously present. We further identify representative parameter regions where the alleviation of the axion quality problem is compatible with inflationary constraints.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2026

Qubit-Qutrit Quantum Tomography of hadronic $\Lambda\phi$ and $\Lambda K^{\ast 0}$ systems

Quantum-information observables have emerged in recent years as new tools in nuclear and particle physics, from entanglement in top-quark pairs to spin correlations in $\Lambda\bar{\Lambda}$ production. Extending these studies to unequal-spin hadronic final states poses a fundamental challenge: the $6\times6$ density matrix of a qubit-qutrit system contains 35 independent spin parameters, but the decays of $\Lambda V$ pairs, with $V=\phi$ or $K^{*0}$, provide access to only 23 due to the hidden vector polarization from the strong decay. In this Letter, we formulate a qubit-qutrit quantum tomography (QQQT) technique for these spin-$\tfrac{1}{2}\otimes1$ systems and establish exact criteria for entanglement certification from the \textit{incomplete} density matrix. Compared with the $\Lambda\bar{\Lambda}$ system, QQQT of $\Lambda\phi$ and $\Lambda K^{*0}$ provides a new probe of nonperturbative QCD hadronization, enabling a direct comparison of the spin evolution of entangled quark pairs produced from the vacuum as they hadronize into a baryon or a vector meson.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2026

Twist decomposition of exclusive heavy meson production cross sections

We study the twist decomposition of the total cross sections for exclusive heavy vector meson electroproduction and photoproduction in the $\gamma^\ast p$ processes, within the leading logarithmic $1/x$ BFKL formalism. The Mellin transforms of the impact factors of the vector meson are calculated. We show that the higher twist contributions are strongly suppressed in the low-$x$ kinematical regime. Possible enhancement of the higher twists effects for nuclei targets is discussed.

hep-ph↗