arXiv subjects

Yasushi Nara

Publications and source records attributed to Yasushi Nara.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2022

Mean-field update in the JAM microscopic model: Mean-field effects on collective flow in high-energy heavy-ion collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=2-20$ GeV energies

The beam energy dependence of the directed flow is a sensitive probe for the properties of strongly interacting matter. We consider different implementations of momentum-dependent hadronic mean fields in the relativistic quantum molecular dynamics (RQMD) framework. First, Lorentz scalar implementation of a Skyrme type potential is examined. Then, full implementation of the Skyrme type potential as a Lorentz vector in the RQMD approach is proposed. We find that scalar implementation of the Skyrme force is too weak to generate repulsion explaining observed data of sideward flows at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}<10$ GeV, while vector implementation gives collective flows compatible with the data for a wide range of beam energies $2.7 <\sqrt{s_{NN}}<20$ GeV. We show that our approach reproduces the negative proton directed flow at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}>10$ GeV discovered by experiments. We discuss the dynamical generation mechanisms of the directed flow within a conventional hadronic mean field. A positive slope of proton directed flow is generated predominantly during compression stages of heavy-ion collisions by the strong repulsive interaction due to high baryon densities. In contrast, in the expansion stages of the collision, the negative directed flow is generated more strongly than the positive one by the tilted expansion and shadowing by the spectator matter. At lower collision energies $\sqrt{s_{NN}}<10$ GeV, the positive flow wins against the negative flow because of a long compression time. On the other hand, at higher energies $\sqrt{s_{NN}}>10$ GeV, negative flow wins because of shorter compression time and longer expansion time. A transition beam energy from positive to negative flow is highly sensitive to the strength of the interaction.

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arXiv2021

Perturbative structure of two- and four-point functions of color charge in a non-Gaussian small-$x$ action

We compute the perturbative expansion of the two- and four-point functions of color charges in the Color Glass Condensate framework considering the quartic correction to the McLerran-Venugopalan (MV) model of Gaussian color charge fluctuations. Expressions for these correlators in the perturbative expansion for small and large non-Gaussian color charge fluctuations are derived for arbitrary orders in perturbation theory. We explicitly show that the perturbative series does not converge at higher orders as expected. We apply the Borel-Padé resummation method to our problem to construct a convergent series. It is shown that the fully non-perturbative solution can be described by the Borel-Padé approximants constructed from the first few terms of the perturbative series for small non-Gaussian fluctuations.

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arXiv2021

Non-perturbative renormalization of the average color charge and multi-point correlators of color charge from a non-Gaussian small-$x$ action

The McLerran-Venugopalan (MV) model is a Gaussian effective theory of color charge fluctuations at small-$x$ in the limit of large valence charge density, {\it i}.{\it e}., a large nucleus made of uncorrelated color charges. In this work, we explore the effects of the first non-trivial (even C-parity) non-Gaussian correction on the color charge density to the MV model ("quartic" term) in SU(2) and SU(3) color group in the non-perturbative regime. We compare our (numerical) non-perturbative results to (analytical) perturbative ones in the limit of small or large non-Gaussian fluctuations. The couplings in the non-Gaussian action, $\barμ$ for the quadratic and $κ_4$ for the quartic term, need to be renormalized in order to match the two-point function in the Gaussian theory. We investigate three different choices for the renormalization of these couplings: i) $κ_{4}$ is proportional to a power of $\barμ$; ii) $κ_4$ is kept constant and iii) $\barμ$ is kept constant. We find that the first two choices lead to a scenario where the small-$x$ action evolves towards a theory dominated by large non-Gaussian fluctuations, regardless of the system size, while the last one allows for controlling the deviations from the MV model.

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arXiv2020

Momentum-dependent potential and collective flows within the relativistic quantum molecular dynamics approach based on relativistic mean-field theory

Relativistic quantum molecular dynamics based on the relativistic mean field theory (RQMD.RMF) is extended by including momentum-dependent potential. The equation of state (EoS) dependence of the directed and the elliptic flow of protons in the beam energy range of $2.3 < \sqrt{s_{NN}}< 20$ GeV is examined. It is found that the directed flow depends strongly on the optical potential at high energies,$\sqrt{s_{NN}} > 3 $ GeV, where no information is available experimentally. The correlation between effective mass at saturation density and the optical potential is found: smaller values of effective mass require smaller strengths of the optical potential to describe the directed flow data.This correlation can also be seen in the beam energy dependence of the elliptic flow at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}>3$ GeV, although its effect is rather weak. On the other hand, stiff EoS is required to describe the elliptic flow at lower energies.Experimental constraints on the optical potential from $pA$ collisions will provide important information on the EoS at high energies.The proton directed and the elliptic flow are well described in the RQMD.RMF model from $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=2.3$ to 8.8 GeV. In contrast,to reproduce the collapse of the directed flow above 10 GeV, pressure has to be reduced, which indicates a softening of the EoS around $\sqrt{s_{NN}} =10 $ GeV.

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arXiv2020

Effects of Pauli blocking on pion production in central collisions of neutron-rich nuclei

Pauli blocking is carefully investigated for the processes of $NN \rightarrow N Δ$ and $Δ\rightarrow N π$ in heavy-ion collisions, aiming at a more precise prediction of the $π^-/ π^+$ ratio which is an important observable to constrain the high-density symmetry energy. We use the AMD+JAM approach, which combines the antisymmetrized molecular dynamics for the time evolution of nucleons and the JAM model to treat processes for $Δ$ resonances and pions. As is known in general transport-code simulations, it is difficult to treat Pauli blocking very precisely due to unphysical fluctuations and additional smearing of the phase-space distribution function, when Pauli blocking is treated in the standard method of JAM. We propose an improved method in AMD+JAM to use the Wigner function precisely calculated in AMD as the blocking probability. Different Pauli blocking methods are compared in heavy-ion collisions of neutron-rich nuclei, ${}^{132}\mathrm{Sn}+{}^{124}\mathrm{Sn}$, at 270 MeV/nucleon. With the more accurate method, we find that Pauli blocking is stronger, in particular for the neutron in the final state in $NN \rightarrow N Δ$ and $ Δ\to Nπ$, compared to the case with a proton in the final state. Consequently, the $π^-/π^+$ ratio becomes higher when the Pauli blocking is improved, the effect of which is found to be comparable to the sensitivity to the high-density symmetry energy.

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arXiv2019

Sensitivity of the excitation functions of collective flow to relativistic scalar and vector meson interactions in the relativistic quantum molecular dynamics model RQMD.RMF

Relativistic quantum molecular dynamics with scalar and vector interactions based on the relativistic mean meson field theory, RQMD.RMF, is developed.It is implemented into the microscopic transport code JAM.The sensitivity of the directed and of the elliptic proton flow in high energy heavy-ion collisions on the stiffness of the RMF equation of state (EoS) is examined. These new calculations are compared to experimental data at mid-central Au + Au collisions in the beam energy range $2.5 < \sqrt{s_{NN}} < 20$ GeV. This new RQMD model with the relativistic mean field scalar and vector meson interactions does describe consistently, with one RMF parameter set,the beam energy dependence of both the directed flow and the elliptic flow,from SIS18 to AGS and RHIC BES-II energies, $\sqrt{s_{NN}}< 10$ GeV.There are different sensitivities of these different kinds of flow to the EoS: elliptic flow is most sensitive to the nuclear incompressibility constant,at the moderate beam energies $\sqrt{s_{NN}}<3$ GeV,whereas the directed flow is most sensitive to the effective baryon mass at saturation density at $3< \sqrt{s_{NN}}<5 $ GeV. Matters abruptly change in the next higher energy range,$\sqrt{s_{NN}}\gtrsim 10-20$ GeV:the directed flow data show a double change of sign of the slope of $v_1$, inverting twice in this energy range,in sudden contradiction to the RQMD.RMF calculation for a monotonous, stiff EoS. This surprising oscillating behavior,a double change of sign of the $v_1$ slope, points to the appearance of a hitherto unknown first-order phase transition in excited QCD matter at high baryon densities in mid-central Au + Au collisions.

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arXiv2019

Comparison of heavy-ion transport simulations: Collision integral with pions and $Δ$ resonances in a box

We compare ten transport codes for a system confined in a box, aiming at improved handling of the production of $Δ$ resonances and pions, which is indispensable for constraining high-density symmetry energy from observables such as the $π^-/π^+$ yield ratio in heavy-ion collisions. The system in a box is initialized with nucleons at saturation density and at 60 MeV temperature. The reactions $NN\leftrightarrow NΔ$ and $Δ\leftrightarrow Nπ$ are implemented, but the Pauli blocking and the mean-field potential are deactivated in the present comparison. Results are compared to those from the two reference cases of a chemically equilibrated ideal gas mixture and of the rate equation. In the results of the numbers of $Δ$ and $π$, deviations from the reference values are observed in many codes, and they depend significantly on the size of the time step. These deviations are tied to different ways in ordering the sequence of collisions and decays, that take place in the same time step. Better agreements are seen in the reaction rates and the number ratios among the isospin species of $Δ$ and $π$. These are, however, affected by the correlations, which are absent in the Boltzmann equation, but are induced by the way particle scatterings are treated in transport calculations. The uncertainty in the transport-code predictions of the $π^-/π^+$ ratio for the system initialized at n/p = 1.5, after letting the existing $Δ$ resonances decay, is found to be within a few percent, which is sufficiently small so that it does not strongly impact constraining the high-density symmetry energy from heavy-ion collisions. Most of the sources of uncertainties have been understood, and individual codes may be further improved. This investigation will be extended in the future to heavy-ion collisions to ensure the problems identified here remain under control.

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arXiv2019

Dynamically Integrated Transport Approach for High-Energy Nuclear Collisions at High Baryon Density

To explore the structure of the QCD phase diagram in high baryon density domain, several high-energy nuclear collision experiments in a wide range of beam energies are currently performed or planned using many accelerator facilities. In these experiments search for a first-order phase transition and the QCD critical point is one of the most important topics. To find the signature of the phase transition, experimental data should be compared to appropriate dynamical models which quantitatively describe the process of the collisions. In this study we develop a new dynamical model on the basis of the non-equilibrium hadronic transport model JAM and 3+1D hydrodynamics. We show that the new model reproduce well the experimental beam-energy dependence of hadron yields and particle ratio by the partial thermalization of the system in our core-corona approach.

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arXiv2018

Centrality and energy dependence of charged particles in p+A and A+A collisions from running coupling $k_{T}$-factorization

We extend the numerical analysis of the energy and centrality dependence of particle multiplicities at midrapidity in high-energy p+A and A+A collisions from a running coupling $k_T$-factorization formula made in~\cite{Dumitru:2018gjm} by considering two unintegrated gluon distributions that were left out. While a good agreement with the experimental data in A+A collisions is achieved, improving the description of those observables in p+A collisions calls for a better understanding of the proton unintegrated gluon distribution at larger values of $x$ and also the use of a realistic impact parameter dependence.

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arXiv2018

The enhancement of $v_4$ in nuclear collisions at the highest densities signals a first order phase transition

The beam energy dependence of $v_4$ (the quadrupole moment of the transverse radial flow) is sensitive to the nuclear equation of state (EoS) in mid-central Au + Au collisions at the energy range of $3 < \sqrt{s_{NN}} < 30$ GeV, which is investigated within the hadronic transport model JAM. Different equations of state, namely, a free hadron gas, a first-order phase transition and a crossover are compared. An enhancement of $v_4$ at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}\approx 6$ GeV is predicted for an EoS with a first-order phase transition. This enhanced $v_4$ flow is driven by both the enhancement of $v_2$ as well as the positive contribution to $v_4$ from the squeeze-out of spectator particles which turn into participants due to the admixture of the strong collective flow in the shocked, compressed nuclear matter.

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arXiv2018

Particle multiplicities in the central region of high-energy collisions from $k_T$-factorization with running coupling corrections

Horowitz and Kovchegov have derived a $k_T$-factorization formula for particle production at small $x$ which includes running coupling corrections. We perform a first numerical analysis to confront the theory with data on the energy and centrality dependence of particle multiplicities at midrapidity in high-energy p+A (and A+A) collisions. Moreover, we point out a strikingly different dependence of the multiplicity per participant on $N_\text{part}$ in p+Pb vs.\ Pb+Pb collisions at LHC energies, and argue that the observed behavior follows rather naturally from the convolution of the gluon distributions of an asymmetric vs. symmetric projectile and target.

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arXiv2018

The cumulants of the baryon number from central Au+Au collision at $E_{lab}$= 1.23 GeV$/$nucleon reveal the nuclear mean-field potentials

Fluctuations of the baryon number in relativistic heavy-ion collisions are a promising observable to explore the structure of the QCD phase diagram. The cumulant ratios in heavy ion collisions at intermediate energies ($\sqrt{s_{\textrm{NN}}} < 7$ GeV) have not been studied to date. We investigate the effects of mean field potential and clustering on the cumulant ratios of baryon and proton number distributions in Au+Au collisions at beam energy of 1.23 GeV$/$nucleon as measured by the HADES Collaboration at GSI. Ultrarelativistic Quantum Molecular Dynamics (UrQMD) and the JAM model are used to calculate the cumulants with different mean field potentials. It is found that the cumulant ratios are strongly time dependent. At the early stage, the effects of the potentials on the fluctuations of the particle multiplicity in momentum space are relatively weak. The mean fields enhance the fluctuations during the expansion stage, especially for small rapidity acceptance windows. The enhancement of cumulant ratios for free protons is strongly suppressed as compared to that for all baryons. The mean field potentials and the clustering play an important role for the measured cumulant ratios at intermediate energy.

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arXiv2018

Dynamically integrated transport approach for heavy-ion collisions at high baryon density

We develop a new dynamical model for high energy heavy-ion collisions in the beam energy region of the highest net-baryon densities on the basis of non-equilibrium microscopic transport model JAM and macroscopic 3+1D hydrodynamics by utilizing a dynamical initialization method. In this model,dynamical fluidization of a system is controlled by the source terms of the hydrodynamic fields. In addition, time dependent core-corona separation of hot regions is implemented. We show that our new model describes multiplicities and mean transverse mass in heavy-ion collisions within a beam energy region of $3<\sqrt{s_{NN}}<30$ GeV. Good agreement of the beam energy dependence of the $K^+/π^+$ ratio is obtained, which is explained by the fact that a part of the system is not thermalized in our core-corona approach.

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arXiv2018

Beam energy dependence of squeeze-out effect on the directed and elliptic flow in Au+Au collisions at high baryon density region

We present a detailed analysis of the beam energy dependence of the mechanisms for the generation of directed and elliptic flows in Au+Au collisions focusing on the role of hadronic rescattering and spectator shadowing within a microscopic transport model JAM with different equation of state. A systematic study of the beam energy dependence is performed for Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}} =2.3 - 62.4$ GeV. The transition of the dynamical origin of the directed flow is observed. We find that the initial Glauber type nucleon-nucleon collisions generate negative $v_1$ for nucleons at midrapidity due to the presence of spectator matter, and this negative nucleon $v_1$ is turned to be positive by the meson-baryon interactions at the beam energy region of $\sqrt{s_{NN}} < 30$ GeV. In contrast, above 30 GeV there is no spectator shadowing at midrapidity, and initial nucleon-nucleon collisions do not generate directed flow, but subsequent rescatterings among produced particles generate negative $v_1$ for nucleons. It is demonstrated that negative pion-directed flows are mostly generated by the interaction with the spectator matter. It is also shown that the squeeze-out effect is largely suppressed in the case of softening, which leads to the enhancement of elliptic flow around $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=5-7$ GeV. The elliptic flow at midrapidity above 10 GeV is not influenced by the squeeze-out due to spectator matter, while its effect is seen at the forward rapidity range of $y/y_\mathrm{c.m.}>0.5$, which decreases as beam energy increases.

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arXiv2018

Comparison of heavy-ion transport simulations: Collision integral in a box

Simulations by transport codes are indispensable to extract valuable physics information from heavy ion collisions. In order to understand the origins of discrepancies between different widely used transport codes, we compare 15 such codes under controlled conditions of a system confined to a box with periodic boundary, initialized with Fermi-Dirac distributions at saturation density and temperatures of either 0 or 5 MeV. In such calculations, one is able to check separately the different ingredients of a transport code. In this second publication of the code evaluation project, we only consider the two-body collision term, i.e. we perform cascade calculations. When the Pauli blocking is artificially suppressed, the collision rates are found to be consistent for most codes (to within $1\%$ or better) with analytical results, or completely controlled results of a basic cascade code after eliminating the correlations within the same pair of colliding particles. In calculations with active Pauli blocking, the blocking probability was found to deviate from the expected reference values. The reason is found in substantial phase-space fluctuations and smearing tied to numerical algorithms and model assumptions in the representation of phase space. This results in the reduction of the blocking probability in most transport codes, so that the simulated system gradually evolves away from the Fermi-Dirac towards a Boltzmann distribution. As a result of this investigation, we are able to make judgements about the most effective strategies in transport simulations for determining the collision probabilities and the Pauli blocking. Investigation in a similar vein of other ingredients in transport calculations, like the mean field propagation or the production of nucleon resonances and mesons, will be discussed in the future publications.

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arXiv2018

Probing neutron-proton dynamics by pions

In order to investigate the nuclear symmetry energy at high density, we study the pion production in central collisions of neutron-rich nuclei ${}^{132}\mathrm{Sn}+{}^{124}\mathrm{Sn}$ at 300 MeV/nucleon using a new approach by combining the antisymmetrized molecular dynamics (AMD) and a hadronic cascade model (JAM). The dynamics of neutrons and protons is solved by AMD, and then pions and $Δ$ resonances in the reaction process are handled by JAM. We see the mechanism how the $Δ$ resonance and pions are produced reflecting the dynamics of neutrons and protons. We also investigate the impacts of cluster correlations as well as of the high-density symmetry energy on the nucleon dynamics and consequently on the pion ratio. We find that the $Δ^-/Δ^{++}$ production ratio agrees very well with the neutron-proton squared ratio $(N/Z)^2$ in the high-density and high-momentum region. We show quantitatively that $Δ$ production ratio, and therefore $(N/Z)^2$, are directly reflected in the $π^-/π^+$ ratio, with modification in the final stage of the reaction.

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arXiv2017

Effects of mean-field and the softening of equation of state on elliptic flow in Au+Au collision at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5 GeV from JAM model

We perform a systematic study of elliptic flow ($v_2$) in Au+Au collision at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=5$ GeV by using a microscopic transport model JAM. The centrality, pseudorapidity, transverse momentum and beam energy dependence of $v_2$ for charged as well as identified hadrons are studied. We investigate the effects of both the hadronic mean-field and the softening of equation of state (EoS) on elliptic flow. The softening of EoS is realized by imposing attractive orbits in two body scattering, which can reduce the pressure of the system. We found that the softening of EoS leads to the enhancement of $v_2$, while the hadronic mean-field suppresses $v_2$ relative to the cascade mode. It indicates that elliptic flow at high baryon density regions is highly sensitive to the EoS and the enhancement of $v_2$ may probe the signature of a first-order phase transition in heavy-ion collisions at beam energies of a strong baryon stopping region.

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arXiv2017

Enhancement of elliptic flow can signal a first order phase transition in high energy heavy ion collisions

The beam energy dependence of the elliptic flow,$v_2$, is studied in mid-central Au+Au collisions in the energy range of $3\leq \sqrt{s_{NN}} \leq 30$ GeV within the microscopic transport model JAM. The results of three different modes of JAM are compared; cascade-,hadronic mean field-, and a new mode with modified equations of state, with a first order phase transition (1.O.P.T.) and with a crossover transition. The standard hadronic mean field suppresses $v_2$, while the inclusion of the effects of a 1.O.P.T. (and also of a crossover transition) does enhance $v_2$ at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}<30$ GeV. The enhancement or suppression of the scaled energy flow, dubbed "elliptic flow"is understood as being due to out of plane- flow, i.e. $v_2<0$, dubbed out of plane - "squeeze-out", which occurs predominantly in the early, compression stage. Subsequently, the in-plane flow dominates, in the expansion stage, $v_2 > 0$. The directed flow, dubbed "bounce- off", is an independent measure of the pressure, which quickly builds up the transverse momentum transfer in the reaction plane. When the spectator matter leaves the participant fireball region, where the highest compression occurs, a hard expansion leads to larger $v_2$. A combined analysis of the three transverse flow coefficients, radial $v_0$-, directed $v_1$- and elliptic $v_2$- flow, in the beam energy range of $3\leq\sqrt{s_{NN}}\leq10$ GeV, distinguishes the different compression and expansion scenarios: a characteristic dependence on the early stage equation of state is observed. The enhancement of both the elliptic and the transverse radial flow and the simultaneous collapse of the directed flow of nucleons offers a clear signature if 1.O.P.T. is realized at the highest baryon densities created in high energy heavy-ion collisions.

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