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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 325 records · Page 18

Nonequilibrium effects and transverse spherocity in ultrarelativistic proton-nucleus collisions

We investigate the effects of nonequilibrium dynamics in small colliding systems by comparing a nonequilibrium transport approach, Parton-Hadron-String Dynamics (PHSD), with a (2+1)-dimensional viscous hydrodynamic model, VISHNew. Focusing on p + Pb collisions at energies available at the Large Hadron Collider, we extract the initial conditions for the hydrodynamic model from PHSD, in order to reduce the impact of the early out-of-equilibrium dynamics and focus on the traces of nonequilibrium in the ensuing medium evolution. We find that in the transport approach quantities like energy density and bulk viscous pressure are highly inhomogeneous on the transverse plane during the whole evolution, whereas the hydrodynamic simulations dissolve more efficiently the initial spatial irregularities, still keeping a high degree of inhomogeneity due to the smaller size and lifetime of the medium produced in p + Pb collisions with respect to heavy-ion reactions. As a first step that will help to identify the impact of these nonequilibrium effects on final observables in proton-nucleus collisions, we perform an analysis of the transverse spherocity, an event-shape observable able to distinguish between jetty and isotropic configurations of transverse momenta. We found that the spherocity distribution in PHSD is slightly shifted towards the isotropic limit with respect to the hydrodynamic result. Even though this dissimilarity is partially due to the difference in the final charged particle production, it mainly comes from the different description within the two frameworks of the medium produced in small colliding systems. This finding supports the idea that multidifferential measurements, such as those based on event categorization according to multiplicity and spherocity, are useful to study final-state observables in ultrarelativistic proton-nucleus collisions.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Stochastic hydrodynamics and hydro-kinetics: Similarities and differences

The hydro-kinetic formalism has been used as a complementary approach to solving the Stochastic Differential Equations (SDE) corresponding to noisy hydrodynamics. The hydro-kinetic formalism consists of a deterministic set of relaxation type equations that tracks the evolution of 2-point correlation functions of stochastic hydrodynamic quantities. Hence they are comparatively easier to solve than the SDEs, which are computationally intensive and need to deal with arbitrarily large gradients. This work compares the two approaches for the propagation and diffusion of conserved charge fluctuations in the Bjorken hydrodynamic model. For white noise, the two approaches agree. For colored Catteneo noise, which is causal, the two approaches diverge. This is because white noise only induces two-point correlations, while Catteneo noise also induces higher-order correlations. Furthermore, this difference is quantified from the effects of causal evolution and influence from higher-order correlations induced by the Catteneo noise.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Comprehensive simulation of heavy-ion collisions at nonzero baryon chemical potential

Here, we present results of hydrodynamic modeling of Au-Au collisions from $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 7.7 to 200 GeV. Our simulations have three novel components. First, we use a Linear EXtrapolation of Ultratrelativistic nucleon-nucleon Scattering to nucleus-nucleus collisions (LEXUS) inspired Monte Carlo initial-state model. Second, we use a crossover equation of state at finite baryon densities without a critical point. Finally, we use departure functions derived from the quasiparticle theory of transport coefficients for hadronic matter at nonzero baryon densities.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Using baryonic charge balance functions to resolve questions about the baryo-chemistry of the quark gluon plasma

Baryon annihilations during the hadronic stage of heavy-ion collisions affects final-state baryon and antibaryon yields and final-state correlations of baryons and antibaryons. Understanding annihilation is important for addressing questions about the chemistry at the beginning of the hadronic stage and for interpreting charge-balance correlations involving baryons. Here, charge balance functions, using protons and antiprotons binned by relative momentum, rapidity, and azimuthal angle are shown to clarify the amount of annihilation in the hadronic stage. This enables a more accurate extraction of the baryo-chemistry at the beginning of the hadronic stage. Understanding annihilation is also crucial if charge balance correlations are to be used to infer the chemistry of the earliest stages of a heavy-ion collision. Furthermore, calculations are presented based on microscopic simulations of the hadronic stage coupled to a hydrodynamic description of the earlier stage, along with a detailed modeling of correlations of protons and antiprotons, known as charge-balance functions.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Ratios of collective flow observables in high-energy isobar collisions are insensitive to final-state interactions

The ratios of bulk observables, such as harmonic flow v 2 and v 3 , between high-energy 96 Ru + 96 Ru and 96 Zr + 96 Zr collisions were recently argued to be a clean probe of the nuclear structure differences between 96 Ru and 96 Zr . Using a transport model simulation of isobar collisions, we quantify this claim from the dependence of the ratios v 2,Ru /v 2, Zr and v 3,Ru /v 3,Zr on various final-state effects, such as the shear viscosity, hadronization, and hadronic cascade. Although the v 2 and v 3 change by more than 50% when varying the final-state effects, the ratios are unchanged. In addition, these ratios are independent of the transverse momentum p T and hadron species, despite of up to a factor of 2 change in v n . Further, the ratio of mean transverse momentum $\langle$p T $\rangle$ is found to be controlled by the nuclear skin and nuclear radius but is only slightly impacted by the final-state effects. Therefore, these isobar ratios serve as a clean probe of the initial condition of the quark-gluon plasma, which, in turn, is controlled by the collective structure of the colliding nuclei.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Prehydrodynamic evolution in large and small systems

We extend our previous investigation of the effects of prehydrodynamic evolution on final-state observables in heavy-ion collisions [38] to smaller systems. We use a state-of-the-art hybrid model for the numerical simulations with optimal parameters obtained from a previous Bayesian study. By studying p–Pb collisions, we find that the effects due to the assumption of a conformal evolution in the prehydrodynamical stage are even more important in small systems. We also show that this effect depends on the time duration of the pre-equilibrium stage, which is further enhanced in small systems. Finally, we show that the recent proposal of a free-streaming with subluminal velocity for the pre-equilibrium stage, thus effectively breaking conformal invariance, can alleviate the contamination of final-state observables. Furthermore, our study further reinforces the need for moving beyond conformal approaches in pre-equilibrium dynamics modeling, especially when extracting transport coefficients from hybrid models in the high-precision era of heavy-ion collisions.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Kaonic Hanbury-Brown–Twiss radii at 200 GeV and 5.02 TeV

Here, we use 3 + 1 dimensional quasiparticle anisotropic hydrodynamics (aHydroQP) to make predictions for kaon Hanbury-Brown–Twiss (HBT) radii in 200 GeV and 5.02 TeV heavy-ion collisions. Using previously determined aHydroQP parameters, we compute kaonic HBT radii and their ratios as a function of the mean transverse momentum of the pair k T . We first consider Au-Au collisions at 200 GeV, finding good agreement between aHydroQP predictions and experimental data up to k T ≈ 0.8 GeV. We then present predictions for kaonic HBT radii and their ratios in 5.02 TeV Pb-Pb collisions. Our aHydroQP predictions do not exhibit a clear k T scaling of the pion and kaon source radii, however, an approximate transverse mass m T scaling is observed, particularly at 200 GeV.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Measurements of the suppression and correlations of dijets in Pb+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV

Studies of the correlations of the two highest transverse momentum (leading) jets in individual Pb+Pb collision events can provide information about the mechanism of jet quenching by the hot and dense matter created in such collisions. In Pb+Pb and $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV, measurements of the leading dijet transverse momentum ($p_T$) correlations are presented. Additionally, measurements in Pb+Pb collisions of the dijet pair nuclear modification factors projected along leading and subleading jet $p_T$ are made. The measurements are performed using the ATLAS detector at the LHC with 260 pb –1 of pp data collected in 2017 and 2.2 nb –1 of Pb+Pb data collected in 2015 and 2018. An unfolding procedure is applied to the two-dimensional leading and subleading jet $p_T$ distributions to account for experimental effects in the measurement of both jets. Results are provided for dijets with leading jet $p_T$ greater than 100 GeV. Measurements of the dijet-yield-normalized $x_{J}$ distributions in Pb+Pb collisions show an increased fraction of imbalanced jets compared to pp collisions; these measurements are in agreement with previous measurements of the same quantity at 2.76 TeV in the overlapping kinematic range. Measurements of the absolutely normalized dijet rate in Pb+Pb and pp collisions are also presented, and show that balanced dijets are significantly more suppressed than imbalanced dijets in Pb+Pb collisions. It is observed in the measurements of the pair nuclear modification factors that the subleading jets are significantly suppressed relative to leading jets with $p_T$ between 100 and 316 GeV for all centralities in Pb+Pb collisions.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Correlations between flow and transverse momentum in Xe + Xe and Pb + Pb collisions at the LHC with the ATLAS detector: A probe of the heavy-ion initial state and nuclear deformation

The correlations between flow harmonics v n for n = 2, 3, and 4 and mean transverse momentum [p T ] in 129 Xe + 129 Xe and 208 Pb + 208 Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 5.44 and 5.02 TeV, respectively, are measured using charged particles with the ATLAS detector. The correlations are potentially sensitive to the shape and size of the initial geometry, nuclear deformation, and initial momentum anisotropy. The effects from nonflow and centrality fluctuations are minimized, respectively, via a subevent cumulant method and an event-activity selection based on particle production at very forward rapidity. The v n -[p T ] correlations show strong dependencies on centrality, harmonic number n, p T , and pseudorapidity range. Current models qualitatively describe the overall centralityand system-dependent trends but fail to quantitatively reproduce all features of the data. In central collisions, where models generally show good agreement, the v 2 -[p T ] correlations are sensitive to the triaxiality of the quadruple deformation. Comparison of the model with the Pb + Pb and Xe + Xe data confirms that the 129 Xe nucleus is a highly deformed triaxial ellipsoid that has neither a prolate nor oblate shape. This provides strong evidence for a triaxial deformation of the 129 Xe nucleus from high-energy heavy-ion collisions.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Production of $Υ(nS)$ mesons in Pb + Pb and $pp$ collisions at 5.02 TeV

A measurement of the production of vector bottomonium states, $Υ$(1S), $Υ$(2S), and $Υ$(3S), in Pb + Pb and $pp$ collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of 5.02 TeV is presented. The data correspond to integrated luminosities of 1.38 nb –1 of Pb + Pb data collected in 2018, 0.44 nb –1 of Pb + Pb data collected in 2015, and 0.26 fb –1 of $pp$ data collected in 2017 by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The measurements are performed in the dimuon decay channel for transverse momentum ${p}_{T}^{μμ}$ < 30 GeV, absolute rapidity |$y^{μμ}$| < 1.5, and Pb + Pb event centrality 0–80%. The production rates of the three bottomonium states in Pb + Pb collisions are compared with those in $pp$ collisions to extract the nuclear modification factors as functions of event centrality, ${p}_{T}^{μμ}$, and $|y^{μμ}|$. In addition, the suppression of the excited states relative to the ground state is studied. The results are compared with theoretical model calculations.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

First measurement of Λ c + production down to p T = 0 in p p and p -Pb collisions at s N N = 5.02 TeV

The production of prompt $Λ_{c}^{+}$ baryons has been measured at midrapidity in the transverse momentum interval 0 < p T < 1 GeV/c for the first time, in pp and p–Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon-nucleon collision $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV . The measurement was performed in the decay channel $Λ_{c}^{+}$ → p$K_{S}^{0}$ by applying new decay reconstruction techniques using a Kalman-Filter vertexing algorithm and adopting a machine-learning approach for the candidate selection. The p T -integrated $Λ_{c}^{+}$ production cross sections in both collision systems were determined and used along with the measured yields in Pb–Pb collisions to compute the p T -integrated nuclear modification factors R pPb and R AA of $Λ_{c}^{+}$ baryons, which are compared to model calculations that consider nuclear modification of the parton distribution functions. The $Λ_{c}^{+}$/D 0 baryon-to-meson yield ratio is reported for pp and p–Pb collisions. Comparisons with models that include modified hadronization processes are presented, and the implications of the results on the understanding of charm hadronization in hadronic collisions are discussed. A significant (3.7σ) modification of the mean transverse momentum of $Λ_{c}^{+}$ baryons is seen in p –Pb collisions with respect to pp collisions, while the p T -integrated $Λ_{c}^{+}$/D 0 yield ratio was found to be consistent between the two collision systems within the uncertainties.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Measurements of the suppression and correlations of dijets in Xe+Xe collisions at $\sqrt{s{NN}}$ = 5.44 TeV

Measurements of the suppression and correlations of dijets is performed using 3 µb –1 of Xe+Xe data at $\sqrt{s{NN}}$ = 5.44 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Dijets with jets reconstructed using the R = 0.4 anti- k t algorithm are measured differentially in jet p T over the range of 32 to 398 GeV and the centrality of the collisions. Significant dijet momentum imbalance is found in the most central Xe+Xe collisions, which decreases in more peripheral collisions. Results from the measurement of per-pair normalized and absolutely normalized dijet p T balance are compared with previous Pb + Pb measurements at $\sqrt{s{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV. The differences between the dijet suppression in Xe+Xe and Pb + Pb are further quantified by the ratio of pair nuclear-modification factors. The results are found to be consistent with those measured in Pb + Pb data when compared in classes of the same event activity and when taking into account the difference between the center-of-mass energies of the initial parton scattering process in Xe+Xe and Pb + Pb collisions. These results should provide input for a better understanding of the role of energy density, system size, path length, and fluctuations in the parton energy loss.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Jet-hadron correlations with respect to the event plane in $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 200 GeV Au + Au collisions in STAR

Angular distributions of charged particles relative to jet axes are studied in $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 200 GeV Au+Au collisions as a function of the jet orientation with respect to the event plane. This differential study tests the expected path-length dependence of energy loss experienced by a hard-scattered parton as it traverses the hot and dense medium formed in heavy-ion collisions. A second-order event plane is used in the analysis as an experimental estimate of the reaction plane formed by the collision impact parameter and the beam direction. Charged-particle jets with 15 < 𝑝 T,jet < 20 and 20 < 𝑝 T,jet < 40 ⁢GeV/𝑐 were reconstructed with the anti-𝑘 T algorithm with radius parameter setting of 𝑅 = 0.4 in the 20–50% centrality bin to maximize the initial-state eccentricity of the interaction region. The reaction plane fit method is implemented to remove the flow-modulated background with better precision than prior methods. Yields and widths of jet-associated charged-hadron distributions are extracted in three angular bins between the jet axis and the event plane. The event-plane (EP) dependence is further quantified by ratios of the associated yields in different EP bins. No dependence on orientation of the jet axis with respect to the event plane is seen within the uncertainties in the kinematic regime studied. This finding is consistent with a similar experimental observation by ALICE in $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV Pb-Pb collision data.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗