About 10 μs after the Big Bang, the universe was filled—in addition to photons and leptons—with strong-interaction matter consisting of quarks and gluons, which transitioned to hadrons at temperatures close to kT = 150 MeV and densities several times higher than those found in nuclei. This quantum chromodynamics (QCD) matter can be created in the laboratory as a transient state by colliding heavy ions at relativistic energies. The different phases in which QCD matter may exist depend for example on temperature, pressure or baryochemical potential, and can be probed by studying the emission of electromagnetic radiation. Electron–positron pairs emerge from the decay of virtual photons, which immediately decouple from the strong interaction, and thus provide information about the properties of QCD matter at various stages. Here, we report the observation of virtual photon emission from baryon-rich QCD matter. The spectral distribution of the electron–positron pairs is nearly exponential, providing evidence for a source of temperature in excess of 70 MeV with constituents whose properties have been modified, thus reflecting peculiarities of strong-interaction QCD matter. Its bulk properties are similar to the dense matter formed in the final state of a neutron star merger, as apparent from recent multimessenger observation.
Reconstructed $e^{+} e^{-}$ mass distribution from Au+Au collisions.
Reconstructed $e^{+} e^{-}$ mass distribution from Au+Au collisions.
Reconstructed $e^{+} e^{-}$ mass distribution from Au+Au collisions.
We present data on charged kaons (K+-) and {\phi} mesons in Au(1.23A GeV)+Au collisions. It is the first simultaneous measurement of K and {\phi} mesons in central heavy-ion collisions below a kinetic beam energy of 10A GeV. The {\phi}/K- multiplicity ratio is found to be surprisingly high with a value of 0.52 +- 0.16 and shows no dependence on the centrality of the collision. Consequently, the different slopes of the K+ and K- transverse-mass spectra can be explained solely by feed- down, which substantially softens the spectra of K- mesons. Hence, in contrast to the commonly adapted argumentation in literature, the different slopes do not necessarily imply diverging freeze- out temperatures of K+ and K- mesons caused by different couplings to baryons.
Acceptance and efficiency corrected transverse-mass spectra around mid-rapidity.
Acceptance and efficiency corrected transverse-mass spectra around mid-rapidity.
Acceptance and efficiency corrected transverse-mass spectra around mid-rapidity.
We present first data on sub-threshold production of K0 s mesons and {\Lambda} hyperons in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 2.4 GeV. We observe an universal <Apart> scaling of hadrons containing strangeness, independent of their corresponding production thresholds. Comparing the yields, their <Apart> scaling, and the shapes of the rapidity and the pt spectra to state-of-the-art transport model (UrQMD, HSD, IQMD) predictions, we find that none of the latter can simultaneously describe all observables with reasonable \c{hi}2 values.
Example of $K^{0}_{S}$ signal for 0-40% most central events, over mixed-event background for the bin $-0.05 < y_{cm} < 0.05$ and reduced transverse masses between $80-120 MeV/c^{2}$.
Example of $K^{0}_{S}$ signal for 0-40% most central events, over mixed-event background for the bin $-0.05 < y_{cm} < 0.05$ and reduced transverse masses between $80-120 MeV/c^{2}$.
Example of $\Lambda$ signal for 0-40% most central events, over mixed-event background for the bin $-0.05 < y_{cm} < 0.05$ and reduced transverse masses between $100-150 MeV/c^{2}$.
Flow coefficients $v_{n}$ of the orders $n = 1 - 6$ are measured with the High-Acceptance DiElectron Spectrometer (HADES) at GSI for protons, deuterons and tritons as a function of centrality, transverse momentum and rapidity in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 2.4$ GeV. Combining the information from the flow coefficients of all orders allows to construct for the first time, at collision energies of a few GeV, a multi-differential picture of the angular emission pattern of these particles. It reflects the complicated interplay between the effect of the central fireball pressure on the emission of particles and their subsequent interaction with spectator matter. The high precision information on higher order flow coefficients is a major step forward in constraining the equation-of-state of dense baryonic matter.
The $p_{t}$ dependence of $v_{1}$ for protons, deuterons and tritons in the rapidity interval $-0.25 < y_{cm} < -0.15$ in semi-central ($20 - 30$ %) $\mathrm{Au}+\mathrm{Au}$ collisions at $\sqrt{{s}_{NN}}=2.4$ GeV.
The $p_{t}$ dependence of $v_{3}$ for protons, deuterons and tritons in the rapidity interval $-0.25 < y_{cm} < -0.15$ in semi-central ($20 - 30$ %) $\mathrm{Au}+\mathrm{Au}$ collisions at $\sqrt{{s}_{NN}}=2.4$ GeV.
The $p_{t}$ dependence of $v_{5}$ for protons, deuterons and tritons in the rapidity interval $-0.25 < y_{cm} < -0.15$ in semi-central ($20 - 30$ %) $\mathrm{Au}+\mathrm{Au}$ collisions at $\sqrt{{s}_{NN}}=2.4$ GeV.
We present high-statistic data on charged pion emission from Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm{NN}}}$ = 2.4 GeV (corresponding to $E_{beam}$ = 1.23 A GeV) in four centrality classes in the range 0 - 40$\%$ of the most central collisions. The data are analyzed as a function of transverse momentum, transverse mass, rapidity, and polar angle. Pion multiplicity per participating nucleon decreases moderately with increasing centrality. The polar angular distributions are found to be non-isotropic even for the most central event class. Our results on pion multiplicity fit well into the general trend of the world data, but undershoot by $2.5 \sigma$ data from the FOPI experiment measured at slightly lower beam energy. We compare our data to state-of-the-art transport model calculations (PHSD, IQMD, PHQMD, GiBUU and SMASH) and find substantial differences between the measurement and the results of these calculations.
Mid-rapidity and forward rapidity transverse momentum distributions ($p_{t}$) for charged pion for the 10$\%$most central events.
Reduced transverse mass distribution for negatively charged pions in rapidity bins of $\Delta y_{cm}$ = 0.1width between -0.65 and 0.75 for 0-10$\%$ most central events. The most backward rapidity is shown unscaledwhile for following rapidity slices are scaled up by succesive factors of 10.
Reduced transverse mass distribution for positively charged pions in rapidity bins of $\Delta y_{cm}$ = 0.1width between -0.65 and 0.75 for 0-10$\%$ most central events. The most backward rapidity is shown unscaledwhile for following rapidity slices are scaled up by succesive factors of 10.
We present an analysis of proton number fluctuations in $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 2.4 GeV Au+Au collisions measured with the High-Acceptance DiElectron Spectrometer (HADES) at GSI. With the help of extensive detector simulations done with IQMD transport model events including nuclear clusters, various nuisance effects influencing the observed proton cumulants have been investigated. Acceptance and efficiency corrections have been applied as a function of fine grained rapidity and transverse momentum bins, as well as considering local track density dependencies. Next, the effects of volume changes within particular centrality selections have been considered and beyond-leading-order corrections have been applied to the data. The efficiency and volume corrected proton number moments and cumulants Kn of orders n = 1, . . . , 4 have been obtained as a function of centrality and phase-space bin, as well as the corresponding correlators C_n . We find that the observed correlators show a power-law scaling with the mean number of protons, i.e. $C_n \propto <N>^n$, indicative of mostly long-range multi-particle correlations in momentum space. We also present a comparison of our results with Au+Au collision data obtained at RHIC at similar centralities, but higher $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$.
$N_{part}$ distributions in Au+Au collisions for 8 centrality bins obtained from rescaled and modified $N_{hit}$ distributions (solid lines in Fig. 21b)
Efficiency and N2LO volume-corrected proton cumulant ratio $K_2/K_1$ plotted as a function of the rapidity acceptance
Efficiency and N2LO volume-corrected proton cumulant ratio $K_3/K_2$ plotted as a function of the rapidity acceptance
The production of η mesons in proton-proton collisions has been studied using the WASA detector at the CELSIUS storage ring at excess energies of Q=40 MeV and Q=72 MeV. The η was detected through its 2γ decay in a near-4π electromagnetic calorimeter, whereas the protons were measured by a combination of straw chambers and plastic scintillator planes in the forward hemisphere. About 6.9×104 and 9.3×104 events were found at Q=40 MeV and Q=72 MeV, respectively, with background contributions of less than 5%. A simple parametrization of the production cross section in terms of low partial waves was used to evaluate the acceptance corrections. Strong evidence was found for the influence of higher partial waves. The Dalitz plots show the presence of p waves in both the pp and the η{pp} systems and the angular distributions of the η in the center-of-mass frame suggest the influence of d-wave η mesons.
Differential cross section for pp -> pp eta at proton beam energies of 1360 and 1445 MeV (excess energies of of 40 and 72 MeV). The angle theta* is that between the eta momentum and that of the beam in the overall CM system. The error shown in the table is the combined statistical and systematic uncertainty, excluding the overall normalization error.
Differential cross section for pp -> pp eta at proton beam energies of 1360 and 1445 MeV (excess energies of of 40 and 72 MeV). The angle theta** is that between the pp relative momentum and that of the eta in the diproton rest frame. The error shown in the table is the combined statistical and systematic uncertainty, excluding the overall normalization error.
Differential cross section for pp -> pp eta at a proton beam energy of 1360 MeV (excess energy Q = 40 MeV) with respect to the square of the final pp invariant mass. Note the change in units with respect to the figure.
The ALICE experiment has measured the inclusive J/$\psi$ production in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}} } = 2.76$ TeV down to zero transverse momentum in the rapidity range $2.5 < y < 4$. A suppression of the inclusive J/$\psi$ yield in Pb-Pb is observed with respect to the one measured in pp collisions scaled by the number of binary nucleon-nucleon collisions. The nuclear modification factor, integrated over the 0-80% most central collisions, is $0.545 \pm 0.032 \rm{(stat.)} \pm 0.083 \rm{(syst.)}$ and does not exhibit a significant dependence on the collision centrality. These features appear significantly different from measurements at lower collision energies. Models including J/$\psi$ production from charm quarks in a deconfined partonic phase can describe our data.
Jpsi Nuclear Modification Factor (Raa) measured in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt(sNN) = 2.76 TeV in 2.5 < y < 4 and pt > 0 GeV/c, as a function of - the average number of participating nucleons (<Npart>), - the average number of participating nucleons (<Npart,w>) weigthed by the average number of binary collisions, - the mid-rapidity charged-particle density measured at pseudo-rapidity eta = 0 dNch,w/deta|eta=0 weigthed by the average number of binary collisions.
Centrality integrated (0%-80%) inclusive Jpsi Nuclear Modification Factor (Raa) measured in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt(sNN) = 2.76 TeV as a function of rapidity for two transverse momentum ranges.
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The production of the prompt charm mesons $D^0$, $D^+$, $D^{*+}$, and their antiparticles, was measured with the ALICE detector in Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC, at a centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=2.76$ TeV per nucleon--nucleon collision. The $p_{\rm T}$-differential production yields in the range $2<p_{\rm T}<16$ GeV/c at central rapidity, $|y|<0.5$, were used to calculate the nuclear modification factor $R_{AA}$ with respect to a proton-proton reference obtained from the cross section measured at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV and scaled to $\sqrt{s}=2.76$ TeV. For the three meson species, $R_{AA}$ shows a suppression by a factor 3-4, for transverse momenta larger than 5 GeV/c in the 20% most central collisions. The suppression is reduced for peripheral collisions.
The transverse momentum distribution for prompt D0 mesons in the Centrality range 0-20%. The second (sys) error is the systematic uncertainty from the B feed-down contribution. The first (sys) error is the systematic uncertainty from the other sources.
The transverse momentum distribution for prompt D0 mesons in the Centrality range 40-80%. The second (sys) error is the systematic uncertainty from the B feed-down contribution. The first (sys) error is the systematic uncertainty from the other sources.
The transverse momentum distribution for prompt D+ mesons in the Centrality range 0-20%. The second (sys) error is the systematic uncertainty from the B feed-down contribution. The first (sys) error is the systematic uncertainty from the other sources.
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