arXiv subjects

Hongfang Chen

Publications and source records attributed to Hongfang Chen.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2019

Extensive beam test study of prototype MRPCs for the T0 detector at the CSR external-target experiment

The CSR External-target Experiment (CEE) will be the first large-scale nuclear physics experiment device at the Cooling Storage Ring (CSR) of the Heavy-Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou (HIRFL) in China. A new T0 detector has been proposed to measure the multiplicity, angular distribution and timing information of charged particles produced in heavy-ion collisions at the target region. Multi-gap resistive plate chamber (MRPC) technology was chosen as part of the construction of the T0 detector, which provides precision event collision times (T0) and collision geometry information. The prototype was tested with hadron and heavy-ion beams to study its performance. By comparing the experimental results with a Monte Carlo simulation, the time resolution of the MRPCs are found to be $\sim$ 50 ps or better. The timing performance of the T0 detector, including both detector and readout electronics, we found to fulfil the requirements of the CEE.

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arXiv2017

Challenges in QCD matter physics - The Compressed Baryonic Matter experiment at FAIR

Substantial experimental and theoretical efforts worldwide are devoted to explore the phase diagram of strongly interacting matter. At LHC and top RHIC energies, QCD matter is studied at very high temperatures and nearly vanishing net-baryon densities. There is evidence that a Quark-Gluon-Plasma (QGP) was created at experiments at RHIC and LHC. The transition from the QGP back to the hadron gas is found to be a smooth cross over. For larger net-baryon densities and lower temperatures, it is expected that the QCD phase diagram exhibits a rich structure, such as a first-order phase transition between hadronic and partonic matter which terminates in a critical point, or exotic phases like quarkyonic matter. The discovery of these landmarks would be a breakthrough in our understanding of the strong interaction and is therefore in the focus of various high-energy heavy-ion research programs. The Compressed Baryonic Matter (CBM) experiment at FAIR will play a unique role in the exploration of the QCD phase diagram in the region of high net-baryon densities, because it is designed to run at unprecedented interaction rates. High-rate operation is the key prerequisite for high-precision measurements of multi-differential observables and of rare diagnostic probes which are sensitive to the dense phase of the nuclear fireball. The goal of the CBM experiment at SIS100 (sqrt(s_NN) = 2.7 - 4.9 GeV) is to discover fundamental properties of QCD matter: the phase structure at large baryon-chemical potentials (mu_B > 500 MeV), effects of chiral symmetry, and the equation-of-state at high density as it is expected to occur in the core of neutron stars. In this article, we review the motivation for and the physics programme of CBM, including activities before the start of data taking in 2022, in the context of the worldwide efforts to explore high-density QCD matter.

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arXiv2015

A Cosmic Ray Test Platform Based on the High Time Resolution MRPC Technology

In order to test the performance of detector/prototype in environment of laboratory, we design and build a larger area ($90\times52$ $cm^2$) test platform of cosmic ray based on well-designed Multi-gap Resistive Plate Chamber (MRPC) with an excellent time resolution and a high detection efficiency for the minimum ionizing particles (MIPs). The time resolution of the MRPC module used is tested to be ~80 ps, and the position resolution along the strip is ~5 mm, while the position resolution perpendicular to the strip is ~12.7 mm. The platform constructed by four MRPC modules can be functional for tracking the cosmic rays with a spatial resolution ~6.3 mm, and provide a reference time ~40 ps.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2014

Onset of radial flow in p+p collisions

It has been debated for decades whether hadrons emerging from p+p collisions exhibit collective expansion. The signal of the collective motion in p+p collisions is not as clear/clean as in heavy-ion collisions because of the low multiplicity and large fluctuation in p+p collisions. Tsallis Blast-Wave (TBW) model is a thermodynamic approach, introduced to handle the overwhelming correlation and fluctuation in the hadronic processes. We have systematically studied the identified particle spectra in p+p collisions from RHIC to LHC using TBW and found no appreciable radial flow in p+p collisions below $\sqrt{s}=900$ GeV. At LHC higher energy of 7 TeV in p+p collisions, the radial flow velocity achieves an average value of $<β>= 0.320\pm0.005$. This flow velocity is comparable to that in peripheral (40-60%) Au+Au collisions at RHIC. Breaking of the identified particle spectra $m_T$ scaling was also observed at LHC from a model independent test.

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arXiv2014

A Large area GEM Detector Using an improved Self-stretch Technique

A GEM detector with an effective area of 30*30 cm2 has been constructed using an improved self-stretch technique, which enables an easy and fast GEM assembling. The design and assembling of the detector is described. Results from tests of the detector with 8 keV X-rays on effective gain and energy resolution are presented.

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arXiv2012

A GEANT4 Simulation Studyof BESIII endcap TOF Upgrade

A GEANT4-based Monte-Carlo model is developed to study the performance of Endcap Time-Of-Flight (ETOF) at BESIII. It's found that the multiple scattering effects, mainly from the materials at the MDC endcap, can cause multi-hit on the ETOF's readout cell and significantly influence the timing property of ETOF. Multi-gap Resistive Plate Chamber (MRPC) with a smaller readout cell structure is more suitable for ETOF detector due to significantly reduced multi-hit rate, from 71.5% for currently-used scintillator-based ETOF to 21.8% or 16.7% for MRPC-based ETOF, depending on the readout pad size used. The timing performance of a MRPC ETOF is also improved. These simulation results suggest and guide an ETOF upgrade effort at BESIII.

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arXiv2011

Statistical Origin of Constituent-Quark Scaling in the QGP hadronization

Nonextensive statistics in a Blast-Wave model (TBW) is implemented to describe the identified hadron production in relativistic p+p and nucleus-nucleus collisions. Incorporating the core and corona components within the TBW formalism allows us to describe simultaneously some of the major observations in hadronic observables at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider (RHIC): the Number of Constituent Quark Scaling (NCQ), the large radial and elliptic flow, the effect of gluon saturation and the suppression of hadron production at high transverse momentum (pT) due to jet quenching. In this formalism, the NCQ scaling at RHIC appears as a consequence of non-equilibrium process. Our study also provides concise reference distributions with a least chi2 fit of the available experimental data for future experiments and models.

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arXiv2010

Examine the species and beam-energy dependence of particle spectra using Tsallis Statistics

Tsallis Statistics was used to investigate the non-Boltzmann distribution of particle spectra and their dependence on particle species and beam energy in the relativistic heavy-ion collisions at SPS and RHIC. Produced particles are assumed to acquire radial flow and be of non-extensive statistics at freeze-out. J/psi and the particles containing strangeness were examined separately to study their radial flow and freeze-out. We found that the strange hadrons approach equilibrium quickly from peripheral to central A+A collisions and they tend to decouple earlier from the system than the light hadrons but with the same final radial flow. These results provide an alternative picture of freeze-outs: a thermalized system is produced at partonic phase; the hadronic scattering at later stage is not enough to maintain the system in equilibrium and does not increase the radial flow of the copiously produced light hadrons. The J/psi in Pb+Pb collisions at SPS is consistent with early decoupling and obtains little radial flow. The J/psi spectra at RHIC are also inconsistent with the bulk flow profile.

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arXiv2009

Signature of QCD critical point: Anomalous transverse velocity dependence of antiproton-proton ratio

We formulate the QCD critical point focusing effect on transverse velocity ($β_{t}$) dependence of antiproton to proton ($\bar{p}/p$) ratio, which was recently proposed by Asakawa {\it et al.} as an experimental signature of QCD critical point in high energy heavy ion collisions (HICs). For quantitative analysis, Ultra-relativistic Quantum Molecular Dynamics (UrQMD) transport model and THERMal heavy-IoN generATOR (THERMINATOR) are applied to calculate the corresponding $β_{t}$ dependence of $\bar{p}/p$ ratio for three gedanken focused isentropic trajectories with different focusing degree on QCD phase diagram. Finally, we obtained an observable anomaly in $β_{t}$ dependence of $\bar{p}/p$ ratio, which can be employed as a signature of QCD critical point.

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