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At least 73 records · Page 4

Thermal-model-based characterization of heavy-ion-collision systems at chemical freeze-out

We investigate the chemical freeze-out in heavy-ion collisions (HICs) and the impact of the hadronic spectrum on thermal model analyses [1, 2]. Detailed knowledge of the hadronic spectrum is still an open question, which has phenomenological consequences on the study of HICs. By varying the number of resonances included in Hadron Resonance Gas (HRG) Model calculations, we can shed light on which particles may be produced. Furthermore, we study the influence of the number of states on the so-called two flavor freezeout scenario, in which strange and light particles can freeze-out separately. We consider results for the chemical freeze-out parameters obtained from thermal model fits and from calculating net-particle fluctuations. We will show the effect of using one global temperature to fit all particles and alternatively, allowing particles with and without strange quarks to freeze-out separately.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Anomalous kaon correlations measured in Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC as evidence for the melting and refreezing of the QCD vacuum

Measurements of the dynamical correlations between neutral and charged kaons in central Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{S_{NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV by the ALICE Collaboration display anomalous behavior relative to conventional heavy-ion collision simulators. We consider other conventional statistical models, none of which can reproduce the magnitude and centrality dependence of the correlations. The data can be reproduced by coherent emission from domains which grow in number and volume with increasing centrality. We study the dynamical evolution of the strange quark condensate and show that the energy released during the expansion and cooling of the system may be sufficient to explain the anomaly.

Kapusta, Joseph↗

Quarkyonic solution to the hyperon puzzle

We show that Quarkyonic Matter can mitigate the hyperon puzzle. The key observation is that the hyperon threshold is shifted to a higher density by a factor of constituent strange quark mass. We illustrate this effect by using the ideal dual Quarkyonic (IdylliQ) model with multiple flavors.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Installation and Commissioning of the GLUEX DIRC

The GlueX experiment takes place in experimental Hall D at Jefferson Lab (JLab). With a linearly polarized photon beam of up to 12 GeV energy, GlueX is a dedicated experiment to search for hybrid mesons via photoproduction reactions. The low-intensity (Phase I) of GlueX was recently completed; the high-intensity (Phase II) started in 2020 including an upgraded particle identification system, known as the DIRC (Detection of Internally Reflected Cherenkov light), utilizing components from the decommissioned BaBar experiment. The identification and separation of the kaon final states will significantly enhance the GlueX physics program, by adding the capability of accessing the strange quark flavor content of conventional (and potentially hybrid) mesons. Here, we report that the installation and commissioning of the DIRC detector has been successfully completed.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Measurement of beam-recoil observables 𝐶 𝑥 and 𝐶 𝑧 for 𝐾 + ⁢Λ photoproduction

Exclusive photoproduction of 𝐾 + ⁢Λ final states off a proton target has been an important component in the search for missing nucleon resonances and our understanding of the production of final states containing strange quarks. Polarization observables have been instrumental in this effort. The current work is an extension of previously published CLAS results on the beam-recoil transferred polarization observables 𝐶 𝑥 and 𝐶 𝑧 . Here, we extend the kinematic range up to invariant mass 𝑊 = 3.33 GeV from the previous limit of 𝑊 = 2.5 GeV with significantly improved statistical precision in the region of overlap. These data will provide for tighter constraints on the reaction models used to unravel the spectrum of nucleon resonances and their properties by not only improving the statistical precision of the data within the resonance region, but also constraining 𝑡-channel processes that dominate at higher 𝑊 but extend into the resonance region.

Electrons↗

Strange hadron production in Au + Au collisions at s N N = 7.7 , 11.5, 19.6, 27, and 39 GeV

In this paper, we present STAR measurements of strange hadron (K$0\atop{s}$, Λ, $\bar{Λ}$, $Ξ$ - , $\bar{Ξ}$ + , Ω - , $\bar{Ω}$ + , and Φ ) production at mid-rapidity (|y|<0.5) in Au+Au collisions at √s NN = 7.7 – 39 GeV from the Beam Energy Scan Program at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). Transverse momentum spectra, averaged transverse mass, and the overall integrated yields of these strange hadrons are presented versus the centrality and collision energy. Antibaryon-to-baryon ratios(Λ/$\bar{Λ}$, $Ξ$ - / $\bar{Ξ}$ + , Ω - / $\bar{Ω}$ + ) are presented as well, and used to test a thermal statistical model and to extract the temperature normalized strangeness and baryon chemical potentials at hadronic freeze-out (μ B / T ch μ S / T ch ) in central collisions. Strange baryon-to-pion ratios are compared to various model predictions in central collisions for all energies. The nuclear modification factors (R CP ) and antibaryon-to-meson ratios as a function of transverse momentum are presented for all collision energies. The K$0\atop{s}$ R CP shows no suppression for p T up to 3.5 GeV/c at energies of 7.7 and 11.5 GeV. The $\bar{Λ}$/ K$0\atop{s}$ ratio also shows baryon-to-meson enhancement at intermediate p T (~2.5 GeV/c) in central collisions at energies above 19.6 GeV. In conclusion, both observations suggest that there is likely a change of the underlying strange quark dynamics at collision energies below 19.6 GeV.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Centrality and transverse-momentum dependence of higher-order flow harmonics of identified hadrons in Au+Au collisions at s N N = 200 GeV

Here we present high-precision measurements of elliptic, triangular, and quadrangular flow v 2 , v 3 , and v 4 , respectively, at midrapidity for identified hadrons π, p, K, φ, K s , Λ as a function of centrality and transverse momentum in Au+Au collisions at the center-of-mass energy √ s NN = 200 GeV. We observe similar v n trends between light and strange mesons which indicates that the heavier strange quarks flow as strongly as the lighter up and down quarks. The number-of-constituent-quark scaling for v 2 , v 3 , and v 4 is found to hold within statistical uncertainty for 0–10%, 10–40%, and 40–80% collision centrality intervals. The results are compared to several viscous hydrodynamic calculations with varying initial conditions, and could serve as an additional constraint to the development of hydrodynamic models.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Investigating Λ baryon production in 𝑝-Pb collisions in jets and the underlying event using angular correlations

First measurements of hadron-Λ (ℎ−Λ) azimuthal angular correlations in 𝑝-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV using the ALICE detector at the Large Hadron Collider are presented. These correlations are used to separate the production of associated Λ baryons into three different kinematic regions, namely those produced in the direction of the trigger particle (near side), those produced in the opposite direction (away side), and those whose production is uncorrelated with the jet axis (underlying event). The per-trigger associated Λ yields in these regions are extracted, along with the near- and away-side azimuthal peak widths, and the results are studied as a function of associated particle 𝑝 T and event multiplicity. Comparisons with the dpmjet event generator and previous measurements of the 𝜙⁡(1020) meson are also made. The final results indicate that strangeness production in the highest multiplicity 𝑝-Pb collisions is enhanced relative to low multiplicity collisions in both the jetlike regions and the underlying event. The production of Λ relative to charged hadrons is also enhanced in the underlying event when compared to the jetlike regions. Additionally, the results hint that strange quark production in the away-side of the jet is modified by soft interactions with the underlying event.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Longitudinal and transverse spin transfer to $Λ$ and $\overline{Λ}$ hyperons in polarized $p$ + $p$ collisions at √s = 200 GeV

The longitudinal and transverse spin transfers to Λ ($\overline{Λ}$) hyperons in polarized proton-proton collisions are expected to be sensitive to the helicity and transversity distributions, respectively, of (anti)strange quarks in the proton, and to the corresponding polarized fragmentation functions. We report improved measurements of the longitudinal spin transfer coefficient, D LL , and the transverse spin transfer coefficient, D TT , to Λ and $\overline{Λ}$ in polarized proton-proton collisions at √s = 200 GeV by the STAR experiment at RHIC. The dataset includes longitudinally polarized proton-proton collisions with an integrated luminosity of 52 pb –1 , and transversely polarized proton-proton collisions with a similar integrated luminosity. Both datasets have about twice the statistics of previous results and cover a kinematic range of |η Λ ($\overline{Λ}$) | < 1.2 and transverse momentum p T , Λ($\overline{Λ}$) up to 8GeV/c. We also report the first measurements of the hyperon spin transfer coefficients D LL and D TT as a function of the fractional jet momentum z carried by the hyperon, which can provide more direct constraints on the polarized fragmentation functions

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Realtime dynamics of hyperon spin correlations from string fragmentation in a deformed four-flavor Schwinger model

Self-polarizing weak decays of Λ -hyperons provide unique insight into the role of entanglement in the fragmentation of QCD strings through measurements of the spin correlations of Λ Λ ¯ pairs produced in collider experiments. The simplest quantum field theory representing the underlying parton dynamics is the four-flavor massive Schwinger model plus an effective spin-flip term, where the flavors are mapped to light (up or down) and heavy (strange) quarks and their spins. This construction provides a novel way to explore hyperon spin correlations in 1 + 1 dimensions. We investigate the evolution of these correlations for different string configurations that are sensitive to the rich structure of the model Hamiltonian. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Final state radiation from high and ultrahigh energy neutrino interactions

Charged leptons produced by high-energy and ultrahigh-energy neutrinos have a substantial probability of emitting prompt internal bremsstrahlung ν ℓ + N → ℓ + X + γ . This can have important consequences for neutrino detection. We discuss observable consequences at high- and ultrahigh-energy neutrino telescopes and the Large Hadron Collider’s (LHC’s) Forward Physics Facility. Logarithmic enhancements can be substantial (e.g., ∼ 20 % ) when either the charged lepton’s energy or the rest of the cascade is measured. We comment on final state radiation’s impacts on measuring the inelasticity distribution, ν / ν ¯ flux ratio, throughgoing muons, and double-bang signatures for high-energy neutrino observation. Furthermore, for ultrahigh-energy neutrino observation, we find that final state radiation increases the overall detectable energy by as much as 20%, affects flavor measurements, and decreases the energy of both Earth-emergent tau leptons and regenerated tau neutrinos. Many of these have significant impacts on measuring neutrino fluxes and spectra. Finally, for the LHC’s Forward Physics Facility, we find that final state radiation will impact future extractions of strange quark parton distribution functions. Final state radiation should be included in future analyses at neutrino telescopes and the Forward Physics Facility. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

General relativistic hydrodynamic simulations of binary strange star mergers

We perform fully general-relativistic simulations of binary strange star mergers considering two different approaches for thermal effects. The first uses a cold equation of state (EOS) derived from a modified version of the MIT bag model which is then supplemented by a Γ-law correction. The second approach employs a microphysical description of the finite-temperature effects. We describe results obtained with the two treatments, highlighting the influence of thermal effects. We find that the postmerger dynamics differs significantly in the two cases, leading to quantitative differences in the postmerger gravitational-wave spectrum and ejecta mass. The peak frequency of the postmerger gravitational-wave emission is consistent with the established quasi-universal relations for binary neutron star mergers and as a result, our simulations cannot distinguish between mergers of neutron stars and those of strange stars. Our models with realistic treatment of finite-temperature effects produce a significant amount of ejecta ≳0.02 M ⊙ ​. Here, the resulting flux of strangelets near the Earth, computed assuming that all neutron star mergers are in fact strange-stars mergers and that the binary considered here is representative, is in tension with experimental upper limits. As such, our results tentatively disfavor a scenario in which strange-quark matter is the lowest energy state of matter.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Measurements of H Λ 3 and H Λ 4 Lifetimes and Yields in Au + Au Collisions in the High Baryon Density Region

We report precision measurements of hypernuclei $^3_ΛH$ and $^4_ΛH$ lifetimes obtained from Au + Au collisions at $\sqrt{sNN}$ = 3.0 GeV and 7.2 GeV collected by the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, and the first measurement of $^3_ΛH$ and $^4_ΛH$ midrapidity yields in Au + Au collisions at $\sqrt{sNN}$ = 3.0 GeV. $^3_ΛH$ and $^4_ΛH$, being the two simplest bound states composed of hyperons and nucleons, are cornerstones in the field of hypernuclear physics. Their lifetimes are measured to be 221 ± 15 (stat) ± 19 (syst) ps for $^3_ΛH$ and 218 ± 6 (stat) ± 13 (syst) ps for $^4_ΛH$. The p T -integrated yields of $^3_ΛH$ and $^4_ΛH$ are presented in different centrality and rapidity intervals. It is observed that the shape of the rapidity distribution of $4_ΛH$ is different for 0%–10% and 10%–50% centrality collisions. Thermal model calculations, using the canonical ensemble for strangeness, describes the $^3_ΛH$ yield well, while underestimating the $^4_ΛH$ yield. Transport models, combining baryonic mean-field and coalescence (jam) or utilizing dynamical cluster formation via baryonic interactions (phqmd) for light nuclei and hypernuclei production, approximately describe the measured $^3_ΛH$ and $^4_ΛH$ yields. Our measurements provide means to precisely assess our understanding of the fundamental baryonic interactions with strange quarks, which can impact our understanding of more complicated systems involving hyperons, such as the interior of neutron stars or exotic hypernuclei.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Gravitational Form Factors of the Proton from Lattice QCD

The gravitational form factors (GFFs) of a hadron encode fundamental aspects of its structure, including its shape and size as defined from, e.g., its energy density. This Letter presents a determination of the flavor decomposition of the GFFs of the proton from lattice QCD, in the kinematic region 0 ≤−𝑡 ≤2 GeV 2 . The decomposition into up-, down-, strange-quark, and gluon contributions provides first-principles constraints on the role of each constituent in generating key proton structure observables, such as its mechanical radius, mass radius, and 𝐷 term.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Probing Strangeness Hadronization with Event-by-Event Production of Multistrange Hadrons

This Letter presents the first measurement of event-by-event fluctuations of the net number (difference between the particle and antiparticle multiplicities) of multistrange hadrons Ξ − and $\overline{Ξ}$ + and its correlation with the net-kaon number using the data collected by the ALICE Collaboration in pp, p-Pb, and Pb-Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV. The statistical hadronization model with a correlation over three units of rapidity between hadrons having the same and opposite strangeness content successfully describes the results. On the other hand, string-fragmentation models that mainly correlate strange hadrons with opposite strange quark content over a small rapidity range fail to describe the data.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗