Frontiers in Nuclear, Heavy Ion and Strong Field Physics
An introduction describing Walter Greiner's scientific life for the topical volume to be published by EPJA
physics.hist-ph↗
arXiv subjects
Horst Stöcker
Publications and source records attributed to Horst Stöcker.
An equation-of-state-meter of QCD transition from deep learning
Supervised learning with a deep convolutional neural network is used to identify the QCD equation of state (EoS) employed in relativistic hydrodynamic simulations of heavy-ion collisions from the simulated final-state particle spectra $ρ(p_T,Φ)$. High-level correlations of $ρ(p_T,Φ)$ learned by the neural network act as an effective "EoS-meter" in detecting the nature of the QCD transition. The EoS-meter is model independent and insensitive to other simulation inputs, especially the initial conditions. Thus it provides a powerful direct-connection of heavy-ion collision observables with the bulk properties of QCD.
hep-ph↗
Rotational properties of hypermassive neutron stars from binary mergers
Determining the differential-rotation law of compact stellar objects produced in binary neutron stars mergers or core-collapse supernovae is an old problem in relativistic astrophysics. Addressing this problem is important because it impacts directly on the maximum mass these objects can attain and hence on the threshold to black-hole formation under realistic conditions. Using the results from a large number of numerical simulations in full general relativity of binary neutron star mergers described with various equations of state and masses, we study the rotational properties of the resulting hypermassive neutron stars. We find that the angular-velocity distribution shows only a modest dependence on the equation of state, thus exhibiting the traits of "quasi-universality" found in other aspects of compact stars, both isolated and in binary systems. The distributions are characterized by an almost uniformly rotating core and a "disk". Such a configuration is significantly different from the $j-{\rm constant}$ differential-rotation law that is commonly adopted in equilibrium models of differentially rotating stars. Furthermore, the rest-mass contained in such a disk can be quite large, ranging from $\simeq 0.03\,M_{\odot}$ in the case of high-mass binaries with stiff equations of state, up to $\simeq 0.2\,M_{\odot}$ for low-mass binaries with soft equations of state. We comment on the astrophysical implications of our findings and on the long-term evolutionary scenarios that can be conjectured on the basis of our simulations.
gr-qc↗
Excluded-volume effects for a hadron gas in Yang-Mills theory
When the multiplicities of particles produced in heavy-ion collisions are fitted to the hadron-resonance-gas model, excluded-volume effects play a significant role. In this work, we study the impact of such effects on the equation of state of pure Yang-Mills theory at low temperatures, comparing the predictions of the statistical model with lattice results. In particular, we present a detailed analysis of the SU(2) and SU(3) Yang-Mills theories: we find that, for both of them, the best fits to the equilibrium thermodynamic quantities are obtained when one assumes that the volume of different glueball states is inversely proportional to their mass. The implications of these findings for QCD are discussed.
hep-lat↗
Conserved Charge Fluctuations in a Chiral Hadronic Model including Hadrons and Quarks
In this work the susceptibility coefficients of the strange and non-strange quark number of second and fourth order are presented. The results at zero baryonchemical potential are obtained using a well tested chiral effective model including all known hadron degrees of freedom and additionally incorporating quarks and gluons in a PNJL model approach. Quark number susceptibilities are sensitive to the fundamental degrees of freedom in the model and signal the shift from massive hadrons to light quarks at the deconfinement transition by a sharp rise at the critical temperature. Furthermore, all susceptibilities are found to be largely suppressed by repulsive vector field interactions of the particles. In the hadronic sector vector repulsion of baryon resonances restrains fluctuations to a region determined in lattice QCD. However, in the quark sector above $T_c$ even small vector field interactions of quarks quench all fluctuations almost completely. For this reason, vector field interactions for quarks have to vanish in the deconfinement limit.
hep-ph↗
QCD Equation of State From a Chiral Hadronic Model Including Quark Degrees of Freedom
This work presents an effective model for strongly interacting matter and the QCD equation of state (EoS). The model includes both hadron and quark degrees of freedom and takes into account the transition of chiral symmetry restoration as well as the deconfinement phase transition. At low temperatures $T$ and baryonic densities $ρ_B$ a hadron resonance gas is described using a SU(3)-flavor sigma-omega model and a quark phase is introduced in analogy to PNJL models for higher $T$ and $ρ_B$. In this way, the correct asymptotic degrees of freedom are used in a wide range of $T$ and $ρ_B$. Here, results of this model concerning the chiral and deconfinement phase transitions and thermodynamic model properties are presented. Large hadron resonance multiplicities in the transition region emphasize the importance of heavy-mass resonance states in this region and their impact on the chiral transition behavior. The resulting phase diagram of QCD matter at small chemical potentials is in line with latest lattice QCD and thermal model results.
hep-ph↗
Baryon Resonances in a Chiral Hadronic Model for the QCD Equation of State
In this paper we study the influence of hadronic resonances on the phase diagram calculated with an effective chiral flavour SU(3) model. We show that varying the couplings of the baryonic resonances to the attractive scalar and the repulsive vector fields has a major impact on the order and location of the chiral phase transition and the possible existence of a critical end point as well as on the thermodynamic properties of the model. Furthermore, we study (strange) quark number fluctuations and show the related susceptibilities both at zero baryochemical potential and when crossing the phase transition line at three different points in the T-mu plane. We obtain the best agreement with current lattice data if we choose a rather strong vector coupling which in our model limits the phase transition to a smooth crossover and implies the non-existence of a critical end point.
hep-ph↗
Conical Emission from Shock Waves in Ne(1-20 AGeV)+U Collisions
The formation and propagation of high-density compression waves, e.g. Mach shock waves, in cold nuclear matter is studied by simulating high-energy nucleus-nucleus collisions of Ne with U in the energy range from E_lab = 0.5 AGeV to 20 AGeV. In an ideal hydrodynamic approach, the high-density shock wave created by the small Ne nucleus passing through the heavy U nucleus is followed by a slower and more dilute Mach shock wave which causes conical emission of particles at the Mach cone angle. The conical emission originates from low-density regions with a small flow velocity comparable to the speed of sound. Moreover, it is shown that the angular distributions of emitted baryons clearly distinguish between a hydrodynamic approach and binary cascade processes used in the Ultra-relativistic Quantum Molecular Dynamics (UrQMD) transport model.
nucl-th↗
Fully integrated transport approach to heavy ion reactions with an intermediate hydrodynamic stage
We present a coupled Boltzmann and hydrodynamics approach to relativistic heavy ion reactions. This hybrid approach is based on the Ultra-relativistic Quantum Molecular Dynamics (UrQMD) transport approach with an intermediate hydrodynamical evolution for the hot and dense stage of the collision. Event-by-event fluctuations are directly taken into account via the non-equilibrium initial conditions generated by the initial collisions and string fragmentations in the microscopic UrQMD model. After a (3+1)-dimensional ideal hydrodynamic evolution, the hydrodynamical fields are mapped to hadrons via the Cooper-Frye equation and the subsequent hadronic cascade calculation within UrQMD proceeds to incorporate the important final state effects for a realistic freeze-out. This implementation allows to compare pure microscopic transport calculations with hydrodynamic calculations using exactly the same initial conditions and freeze-out procedure. The effects of the change in the underlying dynamics - ideal fluid dynamics vs. non-equilibrium transport theory - will be explored. The freeze-out and initial state parameter dependences are investigated for different observables. Furthermore, the time evolution of the baryon density and particle yields are discussed. We find that the final pion and proton multiplicities are lower in the hybrid model calculation due to the isentropic hydrodynamic expansion while the yields for strange particles are enhanced due to the local equilibrium in the hydrodynamic evolution. The results of the different calculations for the mean transverse mass excitation function, rapidity and transverse mass spectra for different particle species at three different beam energies are discussed in the context of the available data.
nucl-th↗
UrQMD-2.3 - Changes and Comparisons
The new version of the Ultra-relativistic Quantum Molecular Dynamics model (UrQMD-2.3) is presented. The Ultra-relativistic Quantum Molecular Dynamics model (UrQMD) is a microscopic many body approach to pp, pA and AA interactions at relativistic energies. The major updates and changes are explained and a comparison to the previous version (UrQMD-1.3p1) in the context of the available data is performed. The plots and numerical data tables for hadron (i.e. $π$, K, p, $\bar{p}$, $Λ$, $\barΛ$, $Ξ$, $\barΞ$, $Ω$, $\barΩ$) multiplicities, and mean transverse mass momenta, $ -m_0$ excitation functions, transverse mass spectra and rapidity distributions in pp and central Au+Au/Pb+Pb reactions from $E_{\rm lab}=2A $GeV to $\sqrt{s}_{\rm NN}=200$ GeV are provided in this paper. The source code of UrQMD-2.3 is available at http://www.th.physik.uni-frankfurt.de/~urqmd
hep-ph↗
Jet Propagation and Mach Cones in (3+1)d Ideal Hydrodynamics
The observation of jet quenching and associated away--side Mach cone--like correlations at RHIC provide powerful ``external'' probes of the sQGP produced in A+A reactions, but it simultaneously raises the question where the jet energy was deposited. The nearly perfect bulk fluidity observed via elliptic flow suggests that Mach cone--like correlations may also be due to rapid local equilibration in the wake of penetrating jets. Multi-particle correlations lend further support to this possibility. However, a combined study of energy deposition and fluid response is needed. We solve numerically 3--dimensional ideal hydrodynamical equations to compute the flow correlation patterns resulting from a variety of possible energy-momentum deposition models. Mach--cone correlations are shown to depend critically on the energy and momentum deposition mechanisms. They only survive for a special limited class of energy--momentum loss models, which assume significantly less longitudinal momentum loss than energy loss per unit length. We conclude that the correct interpretation of away--side jet correlations will require improved understanding and independent experimental constraints on the jet energy--momentum loss to fluid couplings.
hep-ph↗
Collapse of Flow: Probing the Order of the Phase Transition
We discuss the present collective flow signals for the phase transition to the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) and the collective flow as a barometer for the equation of state (EoS). We emphasize the importance of the flow excitation function from 1 to $50 A$ GeV: here the hydrodynamic model has predicted the collapse of the $v_1$-flow at $\sim 10 A$ GeV and of the $v_2$-flow at $\sim 40 A$ GeV. In the latter case, this has recently been observed by the NA49 collaboration. Since hadronic rescattering models predict much larger flow than observed at this energy, we interpret this observation as potential evidence for a first order phase transition at high baryon density $ρ_B$.
hep-ph↗
Mach Cones and Hydrodynamic Flow: Probing Big Bang Matter in the Laboratory
A critical discussion of the present signals for the phase transition to quark-gluon plasma (QGP) is given. Since hadronic rescattering models predict much larger flow than observed from 1 to 50 A GeV laboratory bombarding energies, this observation is interpreted as potential evidence for a first-order phase transition at high baryon density. A detailed discussion of the collective flow as a barometer for the equation of state (EoS) of hot dense matter at RHIC follows. Here, hadronic rescattering models can explain < 30 % of the observed elliptic flow v_2 for $p_T > 2$ GeV/c. This is interpreted as an evidence for the production of superdense matter at RHIC. The connection of v_2 to jet suppression is examined. A study of Mach shocks generated by fast partonic jets propagating through the QGP is given. The main goal is to take into account different types of collective motion during the formation and evolution of this matter. A significant deformation of Mach shocks in central Au+Au collisions at RHIC and LHC energies as compared to the case of jet propagation in a static medium is predicted. A new hydrodynamical study of jet energy loss is presented.
hep-th↗
Hydrodynamic Flow and Jet Induced Mach Shocks at RHIC and LHC
We discuss the present collective flow signals for the phase transition to quark-gluon plasma (QGP) and the collective flow as a barometer for the equation of state (EoS). A study of Mach shocks induced by fast partonic jets propagating through the QGP is given. We predict a significant deformation of Mach shocks in central Au+Au collisions at RHIC and LHC energies as compared to the case of jet propagation in a static medium. Results of a hydrodynamical study of jet energy loss are presented.
nucl-th↗
Probing the density dependence of the symmetry potential at low and high densities
We investigate the sensitivity of several observables to the density dependence of the symmetry potential within the microscopic transport model UrQMD (ultrarelativistic quantum molecular dynamics model). The same systems are used to probe the symmetry potential at both low and high densities. The influence of the symmetry potentials on the yields of $π^{-}$, $π^{+}$, the $π^{-}/π^{+}$ ratio, the $n/p$ ratio of free nucleons and the $t/^3$He ratio are studied for neutron-rich heavy ion collisions ($^{208}Pb+^{208}Pb$, $^{132}Sn+^{124}Sn$, $^{96}Zr+^{96}Zr$) at $E_b=0.4A {\rm GeV}$. We find that these multiple probes provides comprehensive information on the density dependence of the symmetry potential.
nucl-th↗
Dynamics and freeze-out of hadron resonances at RHIC
Yields, rapidity and transverse momentum spectra of $Δ^{++}(1232)$, $Λ(1520)$, $Σ^\pm(1385)$ and the meson resonances $K^0(892)$, $Φ$, $ρ^0$ and $f_0(980)$ are predicted. Hadronic rescattering leads to a suppression of reconstructable resonances, especially at low $p_\perp$. A mass shift of the $ρ$ of 10 MeV is obtained from the microscopic simulation, due to late stage $ρ$ formation in the cooling pion gas.
hep-ph↗
Black Hole Relics in Large Extra Dimensions
Recent calculations applying statistical mechanics indicate that in a setting with compactified large extra dimensions a black hole might evolve into a (quasi-)stable state with mass close to the new fundamental scale $M_f$. Black holes and therefore their relics might be produced at the LHC in the case of extra-dimensional topologies. In this energy regime, Hawking's evaporation scenario is modified due to energy conservation and quantum effects. We reanalyse the evaporation of small black holes including the quantisation of the emitted radiation due to the finite surface of the black hole. It is found that observable stable black hole relics with masses $\sim 1-3 M_f$ would form which could be identified by a delayed single jet with a corresponding hard momentum kick to the relic and by ionisation, e.g. in a TPC.
hep-ph↗
Black Hole Production in Large Extra Dimensions at the Tevatron: Possibility for a First Glimpse on TeV Scale Gravity
The production of black holes in large extra dimensions is studied for Tevatron energies. We find that black holes may have already been created in small abundance in $\bar p p$ collisions at $\sqrt s=1.8$ TeV. For the next Tevatron run ($\sqrt s=2.0$ TeV) large production rates for black holes are predicted.
hep-ph↗