arXiv subjects

H. Stoecker

Publications and source records attributed to H. Stoecker.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

arXiv1999

Irreversibility, steady state, and non-equilibrium physics in relativistic heavy ion collisions

Heavy ion collisions at ultrarelativistic energies offer the opportunity to study the irreversibility of multiparticle processes. Together with the many-body decays of resonances, the multiparticle processes cause the system to evolve according to Prigogine's steady states rather than towards statistical equilibrium. These results are general and can be easily checked by any microscopic string-, transport-, or cascade model for heavy ion collisions. The absence of pure equilibrium states sheds light on the difficulties of thermal models in describing the yields and spectra of hadrons, especially mesons, in heavy ion collisions at bombarding energies above 10 GeV/nucleon.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1998

Metastable quark-antiquark droplets within the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model

Chemically non-equilibrated quark-antiquark matter is studied within the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model. The equations of state of non-strange (q=u,d) and strange (q=s) quark-antiquark systems are calculated in the mean-field approximation. The existence of metastable bound states with zero pressure is predicted at finite densities and temperatures less than about 50 MeV. It is shown that the minimum energy per particle occurs for symmetric systems, with equal densities of quarks and antiquarks. At T=0 these metastable states have quark number densities of about 0.5 fm^-3 for q=u,d and of 1 fm^-3 for q=s. A first order chiral phase transition is found at finite densities and temperatures. The critical temperature for this phase transition is approximately 75 MeV (90 MeV) for the non-strange (strange) baryon-free quark-antiquark matter. For realistic choices of parameters, the model does not predict the phase transition in chemically equilibrated systems. Possible decay channels of the metastable quark-antiquark droplets and their signatures in relativistic heavy-ion collisions are discussed.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1998

Homogeneous nucleation of quark-gluon plasma, finite size effects and long-lived metastable objects

The general formalism of homogeneous nucleation theory is applied to study the hadronization pattern of the ultra-relativistic quark-gluon plasma (QGP) undergoing a first order phase transition. A coalescence model is proposed to describe the evolution dynamics of hadronic clusters produced in the nucleation process. The size distribution of the nucleated clusters is important for the description of the plasma conversion. The model is most sensitive to the initial conditions of the QGP thermalization, time evolution of the energy density, and the interfacial energy of the plasma-hadronic matter interface. The rapidly expanding QGP is first supercooled by about $ΔT = T - T_c = 4-6 %$. Then it reheats again up to the critical temperature T_c. Finally it breaks up into hadronic clusters and small droplets of plasma. This fast dynamics occurs within the first $5-10 fm/c$. The finite size effects and fluctuations near the critical temperature are studied. It is shown that a drop of longitudinally expanding QGP of the transverse radius below 4.5 fm can display a long-lived metastability. However, both in the rapid and in the delayed hadronization scenario, the bulk pion yield is emitted by sources as large as 3-4.5 fm. This may be detected experimentally both by a HBT interferometry signal and by the analysis of the rapidity distributions of particles in narrow p_T-intervals at small p_T on an event-by-event basis.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1998

Signatures of Quark-Gluon-Plasma formation in high energy heavy-ion collisions: A critical review

A critical review on signatures of Quark-Gluon-Plasma formation is given and the current (1998) experimental status is discussed. After giving an introduction to the properties of QCD matter in both, equilibrium- and non-equilibrium theories, we focus on observables which may yield experimental evidence for QGP formation. For each individual observable the discussion is divided into three sections: first the connection between the respective observable and QGP formation in terms of the underlying theoretical concepts is given, then the relevant experimental results are reviewed and finally the current status concerning the interpretation of both, theory and experiment, is discussed. A comprehensive summary including an outlook towards RHIC is given in the final section.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1998

Modelling the many-body dynamics of heavy ion collisions: Present status and future perspective

Basic problems of the semiclassical microscopic modelling of strongly interactingsystems are discussed within the framework of Quantum Molecular Dynamics (QMD). This model allows to study the influence of several types of nucleonic interactions on a large variety of observables and phenomena occurring in heavy ion collisions at relativistic energies.It is shown that the same predictions can be obtained with several -- numerically completely different and independently written -- programs as far as the same model parameters are employed and the same basic approximations are made. Many observables are robust against variations of the details of the model assumptions used. Some of the physical results, however, depend also on rather technical parameters like the preparation of the initial configuration in phase space. This crucial problem is connected with the description of the ground state of single nuclei,which differs among the various approaches. An outlook to an improved molecular dynamics scheme for heavy ion collisions is given.

nucl-th↗

arXiv1998

Reaction dynamics in Pb+Pb at the CERN/SPS: from partonic degrees of freedom to freeze-out

We analyze the reaction dynamics of central Pb+Pb collisions at 160 GeV/nucleon. First we estimate the energy density pile-up at mid-rapidity and calculate its excitation function: The energy density is decomposed into hadronic and partonic contributions. A detailed analysis of the collision dynamics in the framework of a microscopic transport model shows the importance of partonic degrees of freedom and rescattering of leading (di)quarks in the early phase of the reaction for E > 30 GeV/nucleon. The energy density reaches up to 4 GeV/fm^3, 95% of which are contained in partonic degrees of freedom. It is shown that cells of hadronic matter, after the early reaction phase, can be viewed as nearly chemically equilibrated. This matter never exceeds energy densities of 0.4 GeV/fm^3, i.e. a density above which the notion of separated hadrons loses its meaning. The final reaction stage is analyzed in terms of hadron ratios, freeze-out distributions and a source analysis for final state pions.

nucl-th↗

arXiv1998

J/psi suppression in heavy ion collisions - interplay of hard and soft QCD processes

We study J/psi suppression in AB collisions assuming that the charmonium states evolve from small, color transparent configurations. Their interaction with nucleons and nonequilibrated, secondary hadrons is simulated using the microscopic model UrQMD. The Drell-Yan lepton pair yield and the J/psi/Drell-Yan ratio are calculated as a function of the neutral transverse energy in Pb+Pb collisions at 160 GeV and found to be in reasonable agreement with existing data.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1998

Local Thermal and Chemical Equilibration and the Equation of State in Relativistic Heavy Ion Collisions

Thermodynamical variables and their time evolution are studied for central relativistic heavy ion collisions from 10.7 to 160 AGeV in the microscopic Ultrarelativistic Quantum Molecular Dynamics model (UrQMD). The UrQMD model exhibits drastic deviations from equilibrium during the early high density phase of the collision. Local thermal and chemical equilibration of the hadronic matter seems to be established only at later stages of the quasi- isentropic expansion in the central reaction cell with volume 125 fm$^{3}$. distributions at all collision energies for $t\geq 10 fm/c$ with a unique Baryon energy spectra in this cell are approximately reproduced by Boltzmann rapidly dropping temperature. At these times the equation of state has a simple form: $P \cong (0.12-0.15) ε$. At 160 AGeV the strong deviation from chemical equilibrium is found for mesons, especially for pions, even at the late stage of the reaction. The final enhancement of pions is supported by experimental data.

nucl-th↗

arXiv1998

Dissociation rates of J/psi's with comoving mesons - thermal vs. nonequilibrium scenario

We study J/psi dissociation processes in hadronic environments. The validity of a thermal meson gas ansatz is tested by confronting it with an alternative, nonequilibrium scenario. Heavy ion collisions are simulated in the framework of the microscopic transport model UrQMD, taking into account the production of charmonium states through hard parton-parton interactions and subsequent rescattering with hadrons. The thermal gas and microscopic transport scenarios are shown to be very dissimilar. Estimates of J/psi survival probabilities based on thermal models of comover interactions in heavy ion collisions are therefore not reliable.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1998

Excitation Function of Energy Density and Partonic Degrees of Freedom in Relativistic Heavy Ion Collisions

We estimate the energy density pile-up at mid-rapidity in central Pb+Pb collisions from 2 - 200 GeV/nucleon. The energy density is decomposed into hadronic and partonic contributions. A detailed analysis of the collision dynamics in the framework of a microscopic transport model shows the importance of partonic degrees of freedom and rescattering of leading (di)quarks in the early phase of the reaction for lab-energies > 30 GeV/nucleon. In Pb+Pb collisions at 160 GeV/nucleon the energy density reaches up to 4 GeV/fm^3, 95% of which are contained in partonic degrees of freedom.

nucl-th↗

arXiv1998

Equation of State, Spectra and Composition of Hot and Dense Infinite Hadronic Matter in a Microscopic Transport Model

Equilibrium properties of infinite relativistic hadron matter are investigated using the Ultrarelativistic Quantum Molecular Dynamics (UrQMD) model. The simulations are performed in a box with periodic boundary conditions. Equilibration times depend critically on energy and baryon densities. Energy spectra of various hadronic species are shown to be isotropic and consistent with a single temperature in equilibrium. The variation of energy density versus temperature shows a Hagedorn-like behavior with a limiting temperature of 130$\pm$10 MeV. Comparison of abundances of different particle species to ideal hadron gas model predictions show good agreement only if detailed balance is implemented for all channels. At low energy densities, high mass resonances are not relevant; however, their importance raises with increasing energy density. The relevance of these different conceptual frameworks for any interpretation of experimental data is questioned.

nucl-th↗

arXiv1998

Nuclear Shadowing Effects on Prompt Photons at RHIC and LHC

The transverse momentum distribution of prompt photons coming from the very early phase of ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions for the RHIC and LHC energies is calculated by means of perturbative QCD. We calculate the single photon cross section ($A+B\to γ+X$) by taking into account the partonic sub processes $q+ \bar{q}\to γ+g$ and $q+g\toγ+q$ as well as the Bremsstrahlung corrections to those processes. We choose a lower momentum cut-off $k_0 =2$ GeV separating the soft physics from perturbative QCD. We compare the results for those primary collision with the photons produced in reactions of the thermalized secondary particles, which are calculated within scaling hydrodynamics. The QCD processes are taken in leading order. Nuclear shadowing corrections, which alter the involved nuclear structure functions are explicitly taken into account and compared to unshadowed results. Employing the GRV parton distribution parametrizations we find that at RHIC prompt QCD-photons dominate over the thermal radiation down to transverse momenta $k_T \approx 2$ GeV. At LHC, however, thermal radiation from the QGP dominates for photon transverse momenta $k_T \leq 5$ GeV, if nuclear shadowing effects on prompt photon production are taken into account.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1997

Chemical freezeout in relativistic A+A collisions: is it close to the QGP?

Preliminary experimental data for particle number ratios in the collisions of Au+Au at the BNL AGS (11$A$ GeV/$c$) and Pb+Pb at the CERN SPS (160$A$ GeV/$c$) are analyzed in a thermodynamically consistent hadron gas model with excluded volume. Large values of temperature, T=140--185 MeV, and baryonic chemical potential, $μ_b=590$--270 MeV, close to the boundary of the quark-gluon plasma phase are found from fitting the data. This seems to indicate that the energy density at the chemical freezeout is tremendous which would be indeed the case for the point-like hadrons. However, a self-consistent treatment of the van der Waals excluded volume reveals much smaller energy densities which are very far below a lowest limit estimate of the quark-gluon plasma energy density.

nucl-th↗

arXiv1997

Are we close to the QGP? - Hadrochemical vs. microscopic analysis of particle production in ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions

Ratios of hadronic abundances are analyzed for pp and nucleus-nucleus collisions at sqrt(s)=20 GeV using the microscopic transport model UrQMD. Secondary interactions significantly change the primordial hadronic cocktail of the system. A comparison to data shows a strong dependence on rapidity. Without assuming thermal and chemical equilibrium, predicted hadron yields and ratios agree with many of the data, the few observed discrepancies are discussed.

nucl-th↗

arXiv1997

Collective mechanism of dilepton production in high-energy nuclear collisions

Collective bremsstrahlung of vector meson fields in relativistic nuclear collisions is studied within the time-dependent Walecka model. Mutual deceleration of the colliding nuclei is described by introducing the effective stopping time and average rapidity loss of baryons. It is shown that electromagnetic decays of virtual omega-mesons produced by bremsstrahlung mechanism can provide a substantial contribution to the soft dilepton yield at the SPS bombarding energies. In particular, it may be responsible for the dilepton enhancement observed in 160 AGev central Pb+Au collisions. Suggestions for future experiments to estimate the relative contribution of the collective mechanism are given.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1997

Dilepton production by bremsstrahlung of meson fields in nuclear collisions

We study the bremsstrahlung of virtual omega mesons due to the collective deceleration of nuclei at the initial stage of an ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collision. It is shown that electromagnetic decays of these mesons may give an important contribution to the observed yields of dileptons. Mass spectra of positron-electron and muon pairs produced in central Au+Au collisions are calculated under some simplifying assumptions on the space-time variation of the baryonic current in a nuclear collision process. Comparison with the CERES data for 160 AGev Pb+Au collisions shows that the proposed mechanism gives a noticeable fraction of the observed lepton pairs in the intermediate region of invariant masses. Sensitivity of the dilepton yield to the in-medium modification of masses and widths of vector mesons is demonstrated.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1997

Phase transition of a finite quark-gluon plasma

The deconfinement transition region between hadronic matter and quark-gluon plasma is studied for finite volumes. Assuming simple model equations of state and a first order phase transition, we find that fluctuations in finite volumes hinder a sharp separation between the two phases around the critical temperature, leading to a rounding of the phase transition. For reaction volumes expected in heavy ion experiments, the softening of the equation of state is reduced considerably. This is especially true when the requirement of exact color-singletness is included in the QGP equation of state.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1997

A microscopic calculation of secondary Drell-Yan production in heavy ion collisions

A study of secondary Drell-Yan production in nuclear collisions is presented for SPS energies. In addition to the lepton pairs produced in the initial collisions of the projectile and target nucleons, we consider the potentially high dilepton yield from hard valence antiquarks in produced mesons and antibaryons. We calculate the secondary Drell-Yan contributions taking the collision spectrum of hadrons from the microscopic model URQMD. The contributions from meson-baryon interactions, small in hadron-nucleus interactions, are found to be substantial in nucleus-nucleus collisions at low dilepton masses. Preresonance collisions of partons may further increase the yields.

hep-ph↗