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J. Rafelski

Publications and source records attributed to J. Rafelski.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

The Relativistic Foundations of Synchrotron Radiation

Special Relativity (SR) determines the properties of synchrotron radiation, but the corresponding mechanisms are frequently misunderstood. Time dilation is often invoked among the causes, whereas its role would violate the principles of SR. We show that the correct explanation of the synchrotron radiation properties is provided by a combination of the Doppler shift, not dependent on time dilation effects, contrary to a common belief, and of the Lorentz transformation into the particle reference frame of the electromagnetic field of the emission-inducing device, also with no contribution from time dilation. We close by reminding the reader that much if not all of our argument has been available since the inception of SR, a research discipline of its own standing.

physics.gen-ph

SHARE with CHARM

SHARE with CHARM program (SHAREv3) implements the statistical hadronization model description of particle production in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. Given a set of statistical parameters, SHAREv3 program evaluates yields and therefore also ratios, and furthermore, statistical particle abundance fluctuations. The physical bulk properties of the particle source is evaluated based on all hadrons produced, including the fitted yields. The bulk properties can be prescribed as a fit input complementing and/or replacing the statistical parameters. The modifications and improvements in the SHARE suite of programs are oriented towards recent and forthcoming LHC hadron production results including charm hadrons. This SHAREv3 release incorporates all features seen previously in SHAREv1.x and v2.x and, beyond, we include a complete treatment of charm hadrons and their decays, which further cascade and feed lighter hadron yields. This article is a complete and self-contained manual explaining and introducing both the conventional and the extended capabilities of SHARE with CHARM. We complement the particle list derived from the Particle Data Group tabulation composed of up, down, strange $u,d,s$ quarks (including resonances) with hadrons containing charm $c,\bar c$ quarks. We provide a table of the charm hadron decays including partial widths. The branching ratios of each charm hadron decays add to unity, which is achieved by including some charm hadron decay channels based on theoretical consideration in the absence of direct experimental information. A very successful interpretation of all available LHC results has been already obtained using this program.

hep-ph

Charm decay as a source of multistrange hadrons

We describe a newly formulated approach to account for charm production and decay in Statistical Hadronization approach. Considering Pb--Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 2.76$ TeV at LHC we show that charm hadron decays can be a significant contributor to the multistrange hadron abundance. We discuss the magnitude of expected effects as a function of charm yield.

hep-ph

Fusion reactions initiated by laser-accelerated particle beams in a laser-produced plasma

The advent of high-intensity pulsed laser technology enables the generation of extreme states of matter under conditions that are far from thermal equilibrium. This in turn could enable different approaches to generating energy from nuclear fusion. Relaxing the equilibrium requirement could widen the range of isotopes used in fusion fuels permitting cleaner and less hazardous reactions that do not produce high energy neutrons. Here we propose and implement a means to drive fusion reactions between protons and boron-11 nuclei, by colliding a laser-accelerated proton beam with a laser-generated boron plasma. We report proton-boron reaction rates that are orders of magnitude higher than those reported previously. Beyond fusion, our approach demonstrates a new means for exploring low-energy nuclear reactions such as those that occur in astrophysical plasmas and related environments.

physics.plasm-ph

Compact Ultradense Objects in the Solar System

We describe properties and gravitational interactions of meteor-mass and greater compact ultra dense objects with nuclear density or greater (CUDO s). We discuss possible enclosure of CUDO s in comets, stability of these objects on impact with the Earth and Sun and show that the hypothesis of a CUDO core helps resolve issues challenging the understanding of a few selected cometary impacts.

astro-ph.EP

Non-Perturbative Relativistic Calculation of the Muonic Hydrogen Spectrum

We investigate the muonic hydrogen 2P^{F=2}_{3/2} to 2S^{F=1}_{1/2} transition through a precise, non-perturbative numerical solution of the Dirac equation including the finite-size Coulomb force and finite size vacuum polarization. The results are compared with earlier perturbative calculations of (primarily) Borie, Martynenko, and Pachucki; and experimental results recently presented by Pohl et al., in which this very comparison is interpreted as requiring a modification of the proton charge radius from that obtained in electron scattering and electronic hydrogen analyses. We find no significant discrepancy between the perturbative and non-perturbative calculations, and present our results as confirmation of the perturbative methods.

physics.atom-ph

Non-perturbative Analysis of the Influence of the Proton Magnetization and Charge Densities on the Hyperfine Splitting of Muonic Hydrogen

We investigate the influence of the spatial extent of the proton magnetization and charge densities on the 2S hyperfine splitting in muonic hydrogen. The use of a non-perturbative relativistic Dirac approach leads to corrections of 15% to values obtained from the perturbative treatment encapsulated by the Zemach radius, which surpass the next-leading order contribution in the perturbation series by an order of magnitude.

physics.atom-ph

Proton form-factor dependence of the finite-size correction to the Lamb shift in muonic hydrogen

The measurement of the 2P^{F=2}_{3/2} to 2S^{F=1}_{1/2} transition in muonic hydrogen by Pohl et al. and subsequent analysis has led to the conclusion that the rms radius of the proton differs from the accepted (CODATA) value by approximately 4%, corresponding to a 4.9 sigma discrepancy. We investigate the finite-size effects - in particular the dependence on the shape of the proton electric form-factor - relevant to this transition using bound-state QED with nonperturbative, relativistic Dirac wave-functions for a wide range of idealised charge-distributions and a parameterization of experimental data in order to comment on the extent to which the perturbation-theory analysis which leads to the above conclusion can be confirmed. We find no statistically significant dependence of this correction on the shape of the proton form-factor.

physics.atom-ph

The Radius of the Proton: Size Does Matter

The measurement by Pohl et al. [1] of the 2S_1/2^F=1 to 2P_3/2^F=2 transition in muonic hydrogen and the subsequent analysis has led to a conclusion that the rms charge radius of the proton differs from the accepted (CODATA [2]) value by approximately 4%, leading to a 4.9 s.d. discrepancy. We investigate the muonic hydrogen spectrum relevant to this transition using bound-state QED with Dirac wave-functions and comment on the extent to which the perturbation-theory analysis which leads to the above conclusion can be confirmed.

physics.atom-ph

Natural Resolution of the Proton Size Puzzle

We show that off-mass-shell effects arising from the internal structure of the proton provide a new proton polarization mechanism in the Lamb shift, proportional to the lepton mass to the fourth power. This effect is capable of resolving the current puzzle regarding the difference in the proton radius extracted from muonic compared with electronic hydrogen. These off-mass-shell effects could be probed in several other experiments.

physics.atom-ph

Effects of Radiation-Reaction in Relativistic Laser Acceleration

The goal of this paper is twofold: to explore the response of classical charges to electromagnetic force at the level of unity in natural units and to establish a criterion that determines physical parameters for which the related radiation-reaction effects are detectable. In pursuit of this goal, the Landau-Lifshitz equation is solved analytically for an arbitrary (transverse) electromagnetic pulse. A comparative study of the radiation emission of an electron in a linearly polarized pulse for the Landau-Lifshitz equation and for the Lorentz force equation reveals the radiation-reaction dominated regime, in which radiation-reaction effects overcome the influence of the external fields. The case of a relativistic electron that is slowed down by a counter propagating electromagnetic pulse is studied in detail. We further show that when the electron experiences acceleration of order unity, the dynamics of the Lorentz force equation, the Landau-Lifshitz equation and the Lorentz-Abraham-Dirac equation all result in different radiation emission that could be distinguished in experiment. Finally, our analytic and numerical results are compared with those appearing in the literature.

hep-ph

Quark Condensate and Effective Action from Dyson--Schwinger Equations

We obtain the QCD quark condensate from consideration of unquenched quark dynamics in Dyson-Schwinger gluon vacuum. We consider the non-local extension of the condensate and determine the quark virtuality. We also obtain the condensate-driven contribution of the non-perturbative QCD to Euler--Heisenberg Lagrangian of QED in external electromagnetic fields.

hep-ph

The Confinement Property in SU(3) Gauge Theory

We study confinement property of pure SU(3) gauge theory, combining in this effort the non-perturbative gluon and ghost propagators obtained as solutions of Dyson--Schwinger equations with solutions of an integral ladder diagram summation type equation for the Wilson loop. We obtain the string potential and effective UV coupling.

hep-ph

Resonances Do Not Equilibrate

We discuss, in qualitative and quantitative fashion, the yields of hadron resonances. We show that these yields, in general, are not in chemical equilibrium. We evaluate the non-equilibrium abundances in a dynamic model implementing the $1+2\leftrightarrow 3$ resonance formation reactions. Due to the strength of these reactions, we show the $Σ(1385)$ enhancement, and the $Λ(1520)$ suppression explicitly.

nucl-th

Nonlocal Gluon Condensate from the Dyson--Schwinger Equations

We establish a novel method of obtaining the gauge-invariant bilocal condensate of gluon fields from the solutions of the Dyson--Schwinger equations (DSE) which works in the infrared and ultraviolet limits. We present explicit results for SU(3) case in four dimensions, and compare to other related analytical and lattice results.

hep-ph

SHAREv2: fluctuations and a comprehensive treatment of decay feed-down

This the user's manual for SHARE version 2. SHARE (Statistical Hadronization with Resonances) is a collection of programs designed for the statistical analysis of particle production in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. While the structure of the program remains similar to v1.X, v2 provides several new features such as evaluation of statistical fluctuations of particle yields, and a greater versatility, in particular regarding decay feed-down and input/output structure. This article describes all the new features, with emphasis on statistical fluctuations.

nucl-th

Hadronization of Expanding QGP

We discuss how the dynamics of an exploding hot fireball of quark--gluon matter impacts the actual phase transition conditions between the deconfined and confined state of matter. We survey the chemical conditions prevailing at hadronization.

nucl-th

Balance of baryon number in the quark coalescence model

The charge and baryon balance functions are studied in the coalescence hadronization mechanism of quark-gluon plasma. Assuming that in the plasma phase the $q\bar{q}$ pairs form uncorrelated clusters whose decay is also uncorrelated, one can understand the observed small width of the charge balance function in the Gaussian approximation. The coalescence model predicts even smaller width of the baryon-antibaryon balance function: $σ_{B\bar{B}}/σ_{+-}= \sqrt{2/3}$.

hep-ph