SearcharxivSearch

arXiv subjects

Juan M. Torres-Rincon

Publications and source records attributed to Juan M. Torres-Rincon.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Hadron properties at finite temperature

This review provides an overview of thermal effects on hadron properties, focusing on the theoretical frameworks used to describe in-medium modifications of masses, decay widths, and spectral functions. We examine the application of finite-temperature quantum field theory -- specifically the imaginary-time formalism (ITF) -- to analyze both light- and heavy-hadron sectors. For light hadrons, we discuss the role of chiral symmetry restoration and the different definitions of thermal masses in effective field theories, like chiral perturbation theory. In the heavy-flavor sector, we review recent progress in describing open-heavy mesons and quarkonia using self-consistent unitarized approaches and nonrelativistic effective field theories. All these results are complemented by analyses of recent lattice-QCD calculations using the Euclidean formulation of QCD at finite temperature, relevant to extract screening masses and reconstructed spectral functions. Finally, we discuss the phenomenological impact of the thermal modifications on experimental observables in relativistic heavy-ion collisions, including numerical simulations, dilepton spectra, transport coefficients, and hadron femtoscopy. By combining phenomenological considerations with robust theoretical tools, this review provides a coherent picture of how thermal effects emerge in the hadronic phase and how they can be systematically studied within controlled frameworks. Ultimately, the discussion serves as a bridge between experimental observations in relativistic heavy-ion collisions and fundamental developments in finite-temperature QCD and effective field theories for hadronic systems.

nucl-th

Kaon-deuteron femtoscopy from unitarized chiral interactions

We have performed a theoretical study of the correlation functions of $K^- d$ and $K^+ d$ pairs and compared them with those provided by the ALICE Collaboration from Pb-Pb collisions, and also from high-multiplicity p-p collisions in the case of $K^+ d$. In addition to implementing the effect of the Coulomb force, the $K^- d$ and $K^+ d$ wave functions are derived from the corresponding strong scattering amplitudes that are built employing a unitarized chiral model for the elementary $K^- N$ and $K^+ N$ interactions. We present results for the impulse approximation, which accounts for single-scattering processes of the kaon with the nucleons of the deuteron, as well as for the solution of the Faddeev equations in the so-called fixed center approximation, which includes multiple rescattering effects. The $K^- d$ correlation function is shown to be very sensitive to both the size of the source and the relative momentum of the interacting pair, with large deviations from the Coulomb baseline and sizable multi-step scattering contributions, effects that are tied to a ${\bar K}N$ strong interaction that is dominated by the influence of the subthreshold resonance $\Lambda(1405)$. In contrast, the $K^+ d$ correlation function only differs appreciably from the Coulomb one for relatively small sources, reflecting the mildly repulsive and elastic behavior of the $KN$ strong force. The calculated correlation functions are found to nicely reproduce the experimental data of the ALICE collaboration. Our study serves to reinforce the validity of the theoretical models employed and demonstrates the value of femtoscopy as a powerful tool for probing hadronic interactions involving strangeness.

hep-ph

Femtoscopy of $DN$ and $\bar{D}N$ systems

The capability of the ALICE@LHC and STAR@RHIC experiments to reconstruct $D$ mesons has enabled femtoscopic correlation measurements of open-charm mesons in both small and large systems. In this work, we present a theoretical calculation of the correlation functions of $D$ and $\bar{D}$ mesons with nucleons, based on the Koonin-Pratt formalism. We employ an effective Lagrangian to model the interaction between charmed mesons and baryons and apply the TROY formalism to obtain the off-shell $T$-matrix in coupled channels, incorporating the effect of the Coulomb interaction when the pair involves two charged particles. The resulting full coupled-channel wave function is inserted into the Koonin-Pratt equation with channel weights derived from a thermal model. Additionally, we compute the correlation functions using the Lednick\'y-Lyuboshitz approximation with low-energy scattering parameters extracted from the unitarized amplitudes. We compare these two approaches and provide predictions for different correlated pairs. Our results can be tested against current and future experimental data from the ALICE and STAR collaborations in both proton-proton and heavy-ion collisions.

hep-ph

Searching for femtoscopic signatures of the $D \bar D (I=0) \ [X(3700)]$ bound state

The femtoscopic $D \bar D $ correlations correlation functions are investigated to predict the signature of the not-yet-established $X(3700)$ state. Here it is interpreted as a bound state generated by solving the coupled-channel Bethe-Salpeter equations with the local hidden-gauge formalism. We prospect how the relevant properties and observables characterizing this state -- like the pole position, scattering lengths and compositeness -- might be affected by the variation of the parameters of the model. The amplitudes are then used as input into the momentum correlation functions of the $D^0 \bar D^0$ and $D^+ D^- $ pairs. We discuss how their behaviors encode the features of the $X(3700)$ state.

hep-ph

Dissociation and regeneration of charmonia within microscopic Langevin simulations

We present a classical model to study the formation of charmonia, as well as dissociation and regeneration processes of heavy-quark bound states in the quark gluon plasma using Langevin simulations. The charm and anticharm quarks are described as Brownian particles in the background medium of light quarks and gluons and interact among them over a Coulomb-like screened potential to form bound states, which can dissociate again due to interactions with the medium. Box simulations at fixed temperature and volume are used to verify that the system reaches the expected thermal distribution in the equilibrium limit and to test bound state properties. The medium evolution is then parametrized by a boost-invariant fireball. In this configuration, the elliptic flow of charm and anticharm quarks as well as of charmonia is studied at RHIC and LHC energies.

hep-ph

A two-body femtoscopy approach to the proton-deuteron correlation function

The proton-deuteron correlation function measured by the ALICE collaboration in high multiplicity p+p collisions shows a momentum dependence which is in contradiction with the predictions of the Lednick\'y-Lyuboshitz formalism of the two-body interaction. This result motivated a more sophisticated three-body description in terms of a composite deuteron. Encouraged by the good description of other deuteron observables in the context of heavy-ion collisions, we revisit this correlation function under the two-body approximation without relying on the Lednick\'y-Lyuboshitz approximation, but using the solution of the Schr\"odinger equation by incorporating both strong and Coulomb interactions. The two-body description provides a reasonable agreement to ALICE data for natural values of the source size. Interpreting the previously assumed attractive character of the $(L,S)=(0,3/2)$ channel of the $pd$ interaction into a more-likely repulsion, the results agree better not only with the ALICE measurements but also with recent STAR data in Au+Au collisions.

nucl-th

Approach to meson-baryon femtoscopy using effective field theories

We calculate several femtoscopy correlation functions in the strangeness sectors $S=0$ and $S=-2$ for meson-baryon interactions. We combine the amplitudes of chiral perturbation theory at leading order with the TROY (T-matrix-based Routine for HadrOn femtoscopY) framework. We consider the correlation function for the $\pi^+$p and $\pi^-$p channels, which are currently under analysis by the ALICE collaboration at the LHC. Furthermore, we will show that analogous interactions can be used to reproduce the results for $K_S \Lambda$ correlation functions obtained by ALICE collaboration in PbPb collisions.

hep-ph

Molecular states with charm: insights from vacuum and finite-temperature analyses

This contribution to the SQM2024 conference covers the molecular hypothesis for the internal structure of some open and hidden charm states. The use of effective theories that incorporate heavy-quark spin symmetry, combined with unitarization techniques, has provided strong evidences supporting this interpretation. In the heavy-light sector, we discuss the double pole structure of the $D_0^*(2300)$ and the generation of the $D_{s0}^*(2317)$. In the hidden charm sector, we focus on the exotic $X(3872)$ and its heavy-quark partner, the $X(4014)$. Furthermore, we emphasize the benefits of femtoscopic measurements in $p+p$ collisions to establish the nature of these states, as well as the potential role of temperature to discern their internal structure.

hep-ph

Charm and Bottom Hadrons in Hot Hadronic Matter

Heavy quarks, and the hadrons containing them, are excellent probes of the QCD medium formed in high-energy heavy-ion collisions, as they provide essential information on the transport properties of the medium and how quarks color-neutralize into hadrons. Large theoretical and phenomenological efforts have been dedicated thus far to assess the diffusion of charm and bottom quarks in the quark-gluon plasma and their subsequent hadronization into heavy-flavor (HF) hadrons. However, the fireball formed in heavy-ion collisions also features an extended hadronic phase, and therefore any quantitative analysis of experimental observables needs to account for the rescattering of charm and bottom hadrons. This is further reinforced by the presence of a QCD cross-over transition and the notion that the interaction strength is maximal in the vicinity of the pseudo-critical temperature. We review existing approaches for evaluating the interactions of open HF hadrons in a hadronic heat bath and the pertinent results for scattering amplitudes, spectral functions and transport coefficients. While most of the work to date has focused on $D$-mesons, we also discuss excited states as well as HF baryons and the bottom sector. Both the HF hadro-chemistry and bottom observables will play a key role in future experimental measurements. We also conduct a survey of transport calculations in heavy-ion collisions that have included effects of hadronic HF diffusion and assess its impact on various observables.

hep-ph

Femtoscopy of $D$ mesons and light mesons upon unitarized effective field theories

Hadron femtoscopy has turned into a powerful tool for accessing space-time information of heavy-ion collisions as well as for studying final-state interactions of hadrons. Recently, heavy-flavor femtoscopy has become feasible using the ALICE detector at the LHC. We compute the correlation function of $D$ mesons and light mesons using an off-shell $T$-matrix approach to access the two-meson wave function, and predict the correlation functions involving charged $D^+, D^{*+},D_s^+$ and $D_s^{*+}$ with $π^\pm$ and $K^\pm$. From the obtained results -- all of them accessible in $p+p$ collision experiments -- we point up the case of $D^+ π^-$, which is sensitive to the lower state of the two-pole $D_0^* (2300)$ system. The presence of such poles imprints a depletion on the correlation function, which could potentially be detected in experiments. While preliminary ALICE data do not show evidence of this effect, we suggest to look into the $D_s^+ K^-$ system to explore the higher pole of the $D_0^* (2300)$, as the depletion in the correlation function is more pronounced. Using heavy-quark spin symmetry we also propose exploring the effect of the two poles of the $D_1(2430)$ and predict similar structures in the correlation functions of the $D^{*+} π^-$ and $D_s^{*+} K^-$ pairs.

hep-ph

Recent progress on in-medium properties of heavy mesons from finite-temperature EFTs

Mesons with heavy flavor content are an exceptional probe of the hot QCD medium produced in heavy-ion collisions. In the past few years, significant progress has been made toward describing the modification of the properties of heavy mesons in the hadronic phase at finite temperature. Ground-state and excited-state thermal spectral properties can be computed within a self-consistent many-body approach that employs appropriate hadron-hadron effective interactions, providing a unique opportunity to confront hadronic Effective Field Theory predictions with recent and forthcoming lattice QCD simulations and experimental data. In this article, we revisit the application of the imaginary-time formalism to extend the calculation of unitarized scattering amplitudes from the vacuum to finite temperature. These methods allow us to obtain the ground-state thermal spectral functions. The thermal properties of the excited states that are dynamically generated within the molecular picture are also directly accessible. We present here the results of this approach for the open-charm and open-bottom sectors. We also analyze how the heavy-flavor transport properties, which are strongly correlated to experimental observables in heavy-ion collisions, are modified in hot matter. In particular, transport coefficients can be computed using an off-shell kinetic theory that is fully consistent with the effective theory describing the scattering processes. The results of this procedure for both charm and bottom transport coefficients are briefly discussed.

hep-ph

Helicity conservation in perfect electromagnetic and chiral fluids

We derive the total helicity conservation law for a perfect electromagnetic relativistic fluid. As the conservation equation contains the derivative of the magnetic helicity, it can be reshaped as having the same form as the chiral anomaly equation if the fluid is isentropic. We also take the non-relativistic limit of the helicity conservation law, and check the agreement with the Abanov-Wiegmann equation at zero temperature, but we provide further corrections in the more general case. We then consider chiral fluids, when the chiral anomaly equation has to be incorporated in the hydrodynamical equations, together with other chiral transport effects which exist in the presence of a chiral imbalance. We finally study how the chiral imbalance modifies the helicity conservation law.

hep-ph

Baryon and meson masses in the Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model: A Bayesian approach

We investigate the capabilities of the Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model to describe and reproduce fundamental vacuum properties of Quantum Chromodynamics, notably the hadronic spectrum. Mesons are described as quark-antiquark bound states at the level of the random phase approximation of the Bethe-Salpeter equation, while baryons are characterized as quark-diquark bound states within the static approximation of the Faddeev equation. Within a Bayesian framework, we constrain the model by phenomenologically known quantities and study the implications on its parameters and predictions in vacuum, as well as the correlations between the two. We find that within our framework, the vacuum masses of mesons and baryons can be reasonably well reproduced. Scalar diquarks need to be significantly bound in order to correctly reproduce the masses of the baryon octet, therefore enforcing values of the scalar diquark coupling larger than what is suggested by the canonical Fierz values. These findings could have important implications on the phenomenology of strongly-interacting matter at high temperature and density as well as of compact star physics.

hep-ph

$X(3872)$, $X(4014)$, and their bottom partners at finite temperature

The properties of the $X(3872)$ and its spin partner, the $X(4014)$, are studied both in vacuum and at finite temperature. Using an effective hadron theory based on the hidden-gauge Lagrangian, the $X(3872)$ is dynamically generated from the $s$-wave rescattering of a pair of pseudoscalar and vector charm mesons. By incorporating the thermal spectral functions of open charm mesons, the calculation is extended to finite temperature. Similarly, the properties of the $X(4014)$ are obtained out of the scattering of charm vector mesons. By applying heavy-quark flavor symmetry, the properties of their bottom counterparts in the axial-vector and tensor channels are also predicted. All the dynamically generated states show a decreasing mass and acquire an increasing decay width with temperature, following the trend observed in their meson constituents. These results are relevant in relativistic heavy-ion collisions at high energies, in analyses of the collective medium formed after hadronization or in femtoscopic studies, and can be tested in lattice-QCD calculations exploring the melting of heavy mesons at finite temperature.

hep-ph

Transport coefficients of heavy mesons in a thermal medium

We have investigated the many-body equations of $D$ and $\bar{B}$ mesons in a thermal medium by applying an effective field theory based on chiral and heavy-quark symmetries. Exploiting these symmetries within kinetic theory, we have derived an off-shell Fokker-Planck equation which incorporates information of the full spectral functions of these states. In this contribution we present our latest results on heavy-flavor transport coefficients below the chiral restoration temperature, in both charm and bottom sectors. The calculation incorporating temperature-dependent spectral functions and interactions, together with off-shell effects, allows for an improved matching to the state-of-the-art calculations above the chiral transition temperature.

hep-ph

Kinetics of hydrodynamic pions in chiral perturbation theory

We determine the kinetic coefficients of ultrasoft pions using chiral perturbation theory at finite temperature close to the chiral limit. This is used to compute the axial charge diffusion and damping coefficients in the hydrodynamic effective theory for these pion waves. We show that to provide a leading order answer for these coefficients one needs to explore the dynamics of hard, soft, and ultrasoft pion modes, which are represented microscopically by the appropriate kinetic and hydrodynamic descriptions..

hep-ph

In-medium kinetic theory of $D$ mesons and heavy-flavor transport coefficients

We extend the kinetic theory of $D$ mesons to accommodate thermal and off-shell effects due to the medium modification of the heavy-meson spectral functions. From the Kadanoff-Baym approach we derive the off-shell Fokker-Planck equation which encodes the heavy-flavor transport coefficients. We analyze the thermal width (damping rate) of $D$ mesons due to their scattering off light mesons, focusing on new in-medium effects: off-shell corrections, inelastic channels, and the contribution of the Landau cut. We obtain that the latter effect (absent for vacuum scattering amplitudes) brings sizable corrections at moderate temperatures. We discuss how the heavy-flavor transport coefficients, like the drag and diffusion coefficients, are modified in matter. We find that the $D$-meson spatial diffusion coefficient matches smoothly to the latest results of lattice-QCD calculations and Bayesian analyses at higher temperatures.

hep-ph

Chiral symmetry restoration with three chiral partners

I discuss the masses of chiral partners in the context of chiral symmetry restoration at finite temperature. Using the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model I first remind the usual situation where two mesons of opposed parity become degenerate above the chiral transition temperature. Then I consider an effective theory for D mesons where the positive parity companion presents a "double pole structure". In this case three different masses need to be analyzed as functions of the temperature. I suggest a possible restoration pattern at high temperatures when the back-reaction of the quark condensate is incorporated.

hep-ph