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H. Stoecker

Publications and source records attributed to H. Stoecker.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Collective flow of open and hidden charm in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 200 GeV

We study the collective flow of open charm mesons and charmonia in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 200 GeV within the hadron-string-dynamics (HSD) transport approach. The detailed studies show that the coupling of $D,\bar{D}$ mesons to the light hadrons leads to comparable directed and elliptic flow as for the light mesons. This also holds approximately for $J/Ψ$ mesons since more than 50% of the final charmonia for central and mid-central collisions stem from $D+\bar{D}$ induced reactions in the transport calculations. The transverse momentum spectra of $D,\bar{D}$ mesons and $J/Ψ$'s are only very moderately changed by the (pre-)hadronic interactions in HSD which can be traced back to the collective flow generated by elastic interactions with the light hadrons.

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Chemical equilibration due to heavy Hagedorn states

A scenario of heavy resonances, called massive Hagedorn states, is proposed which exhibits a fast ($t\approx 1$ fm/c) chemical equilibration of (strange) baryons and anti-baryons at the QCD critical temperature $T_c$. For relativistic heavy ion collisions this scenario predicts that hadronization is followed by a brief expansion phase during which the equilibration rate is higher than the expansion rate, so that baryons and antibaryons reach chemical equilibrium before chemical freeze-out occurs.

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Nonequilibrium Models of Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collisions

We review the results from the various hydrodynamical and transport models on the collective flow observables from AGS to RHIC energies. A critical discussion of the present status of the CERN experiments on hadron collective flow is given. We emphasize the importance of the flow excitation function from 1 to 50 A$\cdot$GeV: here the hydrodynamic model has predicted the collapse of the $v_1$-flow and of the $v_2$-flow at $\sim 10$ A$\cdot$GeV; at 40 A$\cdot$GeV it has been recently observed by the NA49 collaboration. Since hadronic rescattering models predict much larger flow than observed at this energy we interpret this observation as evidence for a first order phase transition at high baryon density $ρ_B$. Moreover, the connection of the elliptic flow $v_2$ to jet suppression is examined. It is proven experimentally that the collective flow is not faked by minijet fragmentation. Additionally, detailed transport studies show that the away-side jet suppression can only partially ($<$ 50%) be due to hadronic rescattering. Furthermore, the change in sign of $v_1, v_2$ closer to beam rapidity is related to the occurence of a high density first order phase transition in the RHIC data at 62.5, 130 and 200 A$\cdot$GeV.

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Impact of baryon resonances on the chiral phase transition at finite temperature and density

We study the phase diagram of a generalized chiral SU(3)-flavor model in mean-field approximation. In particular, the influence of the baryon resonances, and their couplings to the scalar and vector fields, on the characteristics of the chiral phase transition as a function of temperature and baryon-chemical potential is investigated. Present and future finite-density lattice calculations might constrain the couplings of the fields to the baryons. The results are compared to recent lattice QCD calculations and it is shown that it is non-trivial to obtain, simultaneously, stable cold nuclear matter.

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Strangeness dynamics and transverse pressure in relativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions

We investigate hadron production as well as transverse hadron spectra from proton-proton, proton-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus collisions from 2 $A\cdot$GeV to 21.3 $A\cdot$TeV within two independent transport approaches (HSD and UrQMD) that are based on quark, diquark, string and hadronic degrees of freedom. The comparison to experimental data on transverse mass spectra from $pp$, $pA$ and C+C (or Si+Si) reactions shows the reliability of the transport models for light systems. For central Au+Au (Pb+Pb) collisions at bombarding energies above $\sim$ 5 A$\cdot$GeV, furthermore, the measured $K^{\pm}$ transverse mass spectra have a larger inverse slope parameter than expected from the default calculations. We investigate various scenarios to explore their potential effects on the $K^\pm$ spectra. In particular the initial state Cronin effect is found to play a substantial role at top SPS and RHIC energies. However, the maximum in the $K^+/π^+$ ratio at 20 to 30 A$\cdot$GeV is missed by ~40% and the approximately constant slope of the $K^\pm$ spectra at SPS energies is not reproduced either. Our systematic analysis suggests that the additional pressure - as expected from lattice QCD calculations at finite quark chemical potential $μ_q$ and temperature $T$- should be generated by strong interactions in the early pre-hadronic/partonic phase of central Au+Au (Pb+Pb) collisions.

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Signatures of a minimal length scale in high precision experiments

We discuss modifications of the gyromagnetic moment of electrons and muons due to a minimal length scale combined with a modified fundamental scale $M_f$. First-order deviations from the theoretical standard model value for $g-2$ due to these String Theory-motivated effects are derived. A constraint of $M_f>577 GeV$ for the new fundamental scale is given.

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Antibaryons bound in nuclei

We study the possibility of producing a new kind of nuclear systems which in addition to ordinary nucleons contain a few antibaryons (antiproton, antilambda, etc.). The properties of such systems are described within the relativistic mean-field model by employing G-parity transformed interactions for antibaryons. Calculations are first done for infinite systems and then for finite nuclei from He to Pb. It is demonstrated that the presence of a real antibaryon leads to a strong rearrangement of a target nucleus resulting in a significant increase of its binding energy and local compression. Noticeable effects remain even after the antibaryon coupling constants are reduced by factor 3-4 compared to G-parity motivated values. We have performed detailed calculations of the antibaryon annihilation rates in the nuclear environment by applying a kinetic approach. It is shown that due to significant reduction of the reaction Q-values, the in-medium annihilation rates should be strongly suppressed leading to relatively long-lived antibaryon-nucleus systems. Multi-nucleon annihilation channels are analyzed too. We have also estimated formation probabilities of bound antibaryon-nucleus systems in antiproton-nucleus reactions and have found that their observation will be feasible at the future GSI antiproton facility. Several observable signatures are proposed. The possibility of producing multi-quark-antiquark clusters is discussed.

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Charmonium chemistry in A+A collisions at relativistic energies

Charmonium production and suppression in heavy-ion collisions at relativistic energies is investigated within different models, i.e. the comover absorption model, the threshold suppression model, the statistical coalescence model and the HSD transport approach. In HSD the charmonium dissociation cross sections with mesons are described by a simple phase-space parametrization including an effective coupling strength $|M_i|^2$ for the charmonium states $i=χ_c, J/ψ, ψ^\prime$. This allows to include the backward channels for charmonium reproduction by $D \bar{D}$ channels -- which are missed in the comover absorption and threshold suppression model -- employing detailed balance without introducing any new parameters. It is found that all approaches yield a reasonable description of $J/ψ$ suppression in S+U and Pb+Pb collisions at SPS energies. However, they differ significantly in the $ψ^\prime/J/ψ$ ratio versus centrality at SPS and especially at RHIC energies. These pronounced differences can be exploited in future measurements at RHIC to distinguish the hadronic rescattering scenarios from quark coalescence close to the QGP phase boundary.

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Kaons and antikaons in hot and dense hadronic matter

The medium modification of kaon and antikaon masses, compatible with low energy KN scattering data, are studied in a chiral SU(3) model. The mutual interactions with baryons in hot hadronic matter and the effects from the baryonic Dirac sea on the K(${\rm {\bar K}}$) masses are examined. The in-medium masses from the chiral SU(3) effective model are compared to those from chiral perturbation theory. Furthermore, the influence of these in-medium effects on kaon rapidity distributions and transverse energy spectra as well as the $K, \bar{K}$ flow pattern in heavy-ion collision experiments at 1.5 to 2 A$\cdot$GeV are investigated within the HSD transport approach. Detailed predictions on the transverse momentum and rapidity dependence of directed flow $v_1$ and the elliptic flow $v_2$ are provided for Ni+Ni at 1.93 A$\cdot$GeV within the various models, that can be used to determine the in-medium $K^\pm$ properties from the experimental side in the near future.

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Re-visit the N/Z ratio of free nucleons from collisions of neutron -rich nuclei as a probe of EoS of asymmetric nuclear matter

The N/Z ratio of free nucleons from collisions of neutron-rich nuclei as a function of their momentum is studied by means of Isospin dependent Quantum Molecular Dynamics. We find that this ratio is not only sensitive to the form of the density dependence of the symmetry potential energy but also its strength determined by the symmetry energy coefficient. The uncertainties about the symmetry energy coefficient influence the accuracy of probing the density dependence of the symmetry energy by means of the N/Z ratio of free nucleons of neutron-rich nuclei.

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Evidence for nonhadronic degrees of freedom in the transverse mass spectra of kaons from relativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions?

We investigate transverse hadron spectra from relativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions which reflect important aspects of the dynamics - such as the generation of pressure - in the hot and dense zone formed in the early phase of the reaction. Our analysis is performed within two independent transport approaches (HSD and UrQMD) that are based on quark, diquark, string and hadronic degrees of freedom. Both transport models show their reliability for elementary $pp$ as well as light-ion (C+C, Si+Si) reactions. However, for central Au+Au (Pb+Pb) collisions at bombarding energies above $\sim$ 5 A$\cdot$GeV the measured $K^{\pm}$ transverse mass spectra have a larger inverse slope parameter than expected from the calculation. Thus the pressure generated by hadronic interactions in the transport models above $\sim$ 5 A$\cdot$GeV is lower than observed in the experimental data. This finding shows that the additional pressure - as expected from lattice QCD calculations at finite quark chemical potential and temperature - is generated by strong partonic interactions in the early phase of central Au+Au (Pb+Pb) collisions.

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Charm coalescence at relativistic energies

The J/psi yield at midrapidity at the top RHIC (relativistic heavy ion collider) energy is calculated within the statistical coalescence model, which assumes charmonium formation at the late stage of the reaction from the charm quarks and antiquarks created earlier in hard parton collisions. The results are compared to the new PHENIX data and to predictions of the standard models, which assume formation of charmonia exclusively at the initial stage of the reaction and their subsequent suppression. Two versions of the suppression scenario are considered. One of them assumes gradual charmonium suppression by comovers, while the other one supposes that the suppression sets in abruptly due to quark-gluon plasma formation. Surprisingly, both versions give very similar results. In contrast, the statistical coalescence model predicts a few times larger $J/ψ$ yield in the most central collisions.

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Probing the minimal length scale by precision tests of the muon g-2

Modifications of the gyromagnetic moment of electrons and muons due to a minimal length scale combined with a modified fundamental scale M_f are explored. Deviations from the theoretical Standard Model value for g-2 are derived. Constraints for the fundamental scale M_f are given.

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A Micro-Canonical Description of Hadron Production in Proton-Proton Collisions

A micro-canonical treatment is used to study particle production in pp collisions. First this micro-canonical treatment is compared to some canonical ones. Then proton, antiproton and pion 4(π) multiplicities from proton-proton collisions at various center of mass energies are used to fix the micro-canonical parameters (E) and (V). The dependences of the micro-canonical parameters on the collision energy are parameterised for the further study of pp reactions with this micro-canonical treatment.

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Open charm and charmonium production at relativistic energies

We calculate open charm and charmonium production in $Au+Au$ reactions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 200 GeV within the hadron-string dynamics (HSD) transport approach employing open charm cross sections from $pN$ and $πN$ reactions that are fitted to results from PYTHIA and scaled in magnitude to the available experimental data. Charmonium dissociation with nucleons and formed mesons to open charm ($D+\bar{D}$ pairs) is included dynamically. The 'comover' dissociation cross sections are described by a simple phase-space model including a single free parameter, i.e. an interaction strength $M_0^2$, that is fitted to the $J/Ψ$ suppression data for $Pb+Pb$ collisions at SPS energies. As a novel feature we implement the backward channels for charmonium reproduction by $D \bar{D}$ channels employing detailed balance. From our dynamical calculations we find that the charmonium recreation is comparable to the dissociation by 'comoving' mesons. This leads to the final result that the total $J/Ψ$ suppression at $\sqrt{s}$ = 200 GeV as a function of centrality is slightly less than the suppression seen at SPS energies by the NA50 Collaboration, where the 'comover' dissociation is substantial and the backward channels play no role. Furthermore, even in case that all directly produced $J/Ψ$ mesons dissociate immediately (or are not formed as a mesonic state), a sizeable amount of charmonia is found asymptotically due to the $D+\bar{D} \to J/Ψ$ + meson channels in central collisions of $Au+Au$ at $\sqrt{s}$ = 200 GeV which, however, is lower than the $J/Ψ$ yield expected from binary scaling of $pp$ collisions.

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Hadronic observables from SIS to SPS energies - anything strange with strangeness ?

We calculate $p, π^\pm, K^\pm$ and $Λ$(+$Σ^0$) rapidity distributions and compare to experimental data from SIS to SPS energies within the UrQMD and HSD transport approaches that are both based on string, quark, diquark ($q, \bar{q}, qq, \bar{q}\bar{q}$) and hadronic degrees of freedom. The two transport models do not include any explicit phase transition to a quark-gluon plasma (QGP). It is found that both approaches agree rather well with each other and with the experimental rapidity distributions for protons, $Λ$'s, $π^\pm$ and $K^\pm$. Inspite of this apparent agreement both transport models fail to reproduce the maximum in the excitation function for the ratio $K^+/π^+$ found experimentally between 11 and 40 A$\cdot$GeV. A comparison to the various experimental data shows that this 'failure' is dominantly due to an insufficient description of pion rapidity distributions rather than missing 'strangeness'. The modest differences in the transport model results -- on the other hand -- can be attributed to different implementations of string formation and fragmentation, that are not sufficiently controlled by experimental data for the 'elementary' reactions in vacuum.

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Baryon stopping and strange baryon/antibaryon production at SPS energies

The amount of proton stopping in central Pb+Pb collisions from 20-160 AGeV as well as hyperon and antihyperon rapidity distributions are calculated within the UrQMD model in comparison to experimental data at 40, 80 and 160 AGeV taken recently from the NA49 collaboration. Furthermore, the amount of baryon stopping at 160 AGeV for Pb+Pb collisions is studied as a function of centrality in comparison to the NA49 data. We find that the strange baryon yield is reasonably described for central collisions, however, the rapidity distributions are somewhat more narrow than the data. Moreover, the experimental antihyperon rapidity distributions at 40, 80 and 160 AGeV are underestimated by up to factors of 3 - depending on the annihilation cross section employed - which might be addressed to missing multi-meson fusion channels in the UrQMD model.

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