Pion and kaon production in central Pb+Pb collisions at 20A and 30A GeV: Evidence for the onset of deconfinement

The NA49 collaboration Alt, C. ; Anticic, T. ; Baatar, B. ; et al.
Phys.Rev.C 77 (2008) 024903, 2008.
Inspire Record 762554 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.25169

Results on charged pion and kaon production in central Pb+Pb collisions at 20A and 30A GeV are presented and compared to data at lower and higher energies. A rapid change of the energy dependence is observed around 30A GeV for the yields of pions and kaons as well as for the shape of the transverse mass spectra. The change is compatible with the prediction that the threshold for production of a state of deconfined matter at the early stage of the collisions is located at low SPS energies.

13 data tables

Transverse mass spectra for pion production in the central rapidity region for collisions at 20 GeV per nucleon.

Transverse mass spectra for pion production in the central rapidity region for collisions at 30 GeV per nucleon.

Transverse mass spectra for kaon production in the central rapidity region for collisions at 20 GeV per nucleon.

More…

Excitation function of K+ and pi+ production in Au + Au reactions at 2-A-GeV to 10-A-GeV.

The E866 & E917 collaborations Ahle, L. ; Akiba, Y. ; Ashktorab, K. ; et al.
Phys.Lett.B 476 (2000) 1-8, 2000.
Inspire Record 508374 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.28038

Positive pion and kaon production from Au+Au reactions have been measured as a function of beam energy over the range 2.0-10.7~AGeV. Both the kaon and the pion production cross-sections at mid-rapidity are observed to increase steadily with beam kinetic energy. The ratio of K$^+$ to $\pi^+$ mid-rapidity yields increases from 0.0271$\pm0.0015\pm0.0014$ at 2.0~AGeV to 0.202$\pm0.005\pm0.010$ at 10.7~AGeV and is larger than the K$^+$/$\pi^+$ ratio from p+p reactions over the same beam energy region. There is no indication of an onset of any new production mechanism in heavy-ion reactions in this energy range beyond rescattering of hadrons.

4 data tables

The centrality selection at each beam energy is the most central 5% of the total interaction cross-section (SIG(C=interaction) = 6.8b). A single exponential function in MT was fit simultaneously to the two kaonspectra at each beam energy D2(N)/D(MT)/D(YRAP)/2/PI/MT=D(N)/D(YRAP)/2/PI/T/(T+ M(KAON))/EXP((MT-M(KAON))/T). The fits reproduce the spectra well with two free parameters, the inverse slope parameter T and the rapidity density, D(N)/D(YRAP)in that rapidity slice. The mid-rapidity range for 2, 4, 6, 8 AGeV is ABS((YRAP-Ynn)/Ynn) < 0.25, for 10.7 AGeV the width is ABS((YRAP-Ynn)/Ynn) < 0.125, where Ynn is mid-rapidity in the laboratory frame. The errors are statistical only. The 1.96, 4. and 10.74 GeV are E866 data, another - E917 data.

The centrality selection at each beam energy is the most central 5% of the total interaction cross-section (SIG(C=interaction) = 6.8b). A single exponential function in MT was fit simultaneously to the two kaonspectra at each beam energy D2(N)/D(MT)/D(YRAP)/2/PI/MT=D(N)/D(YRAP)/2/PI/T/(T+ M(KAON))/EXP((MT-M(KAON))/T). The fits reproduce the spectra well with two free parameters, the inverse slope parameter T and the rapidity density, D(N)/D(YRAP)in that rapidity slice. The mid-rapidity range for 2, 4, 6, 8 AGeV is ABS((YRAP-Ynn)/Ynn) < 0.25, for 10.7 AGeV the width is ABS((YRAP-Ynn)/Ynn) < 0.125, where Ynn is mid-rapidity in the laboratory frame. The errors are statistical only. The 1.96, 4. and 10.74 GeV are E866 data, another - E917 data.

The centrality selection at each beam energy is the most central 5% of the total interaction cross-section (SIG(C=interaction) = 6.8b). The spectra were fit with a scaled exponential, D2(N)/D(YRAP)/D(MT)/2/PI/MT=D(N)/D(YRAP)/2/PI/(T**(2-L))/GAMMA(2-L,M(PION)/T)/MT**L/EXP(MT/T), where GAMMA(2-L,M(PION)/T), the complementary incomplete gamma function, is introduced in the normalization so that D(N)/D(YRAP) is a fitted parameter (and other free parameters are L and T). The mid-rapidity range for 2, 4 (E866 data), 6, 8 AGeV (E917 data) beam energy is ABS((YRAP-Ynn)/Ynn) < 0.25, for 10.7 AGeV (E917 data) the width is ABS((YRAP-Ynn)/Ynn) <0.125, where Ynn is mid-rapidity in the laboratory frame. The errors are statistical only.

More…

Centrality dependence of pi+-, K+-, p and anti-p production from s(NN)**(1/2) = 130-GeV Au + Au collisions at RHIC.

The PHENIX collaboration Adcox, K. ; Adler, S.S. ; Ajitanand, N.N. ; et al.
Phys.Rev.Lett. 88 (2002) 242301, 2002.
Inspire Record 568437 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.19421

Identified pi^[+/-] K^[+/-], p and p-bar transverse momentum spectra at mid-rapidity in sqrt(s_NN)=130 GeV Au-Au collisions were measured by the PHENIX experiment at RHIC as a function of collision centrality. Average transverse momenta increase with the number of participating nucleons in a similar way for all particle species. The multiplicity densities scale faster than the number of participating nucleons. Kaon and nucleon yields per participant increase faster than the pion yields. In central collisions at high transverse momenta (p_T greater than 2 GeV/c), anti-proton and proton yields are comparable to the pion yields.

21 data tables

Transverse momentum spectra for PI+ in the midrapidity range for the centrality region 0 to 5 PCT. Errors are combined statistical and systematics.

Transverse momentum spectra for PI- in the midrapidity range for the centrality region 0 to 5 PCT. Errors are combined statistical and systematics.

Transverse momentum spectra for K+ in the midrapidity range for the centrality region 0 to 5 PCT. Errors are combined statistical and systematics.

More…

Energy dependence of pion and kaon production in central Pb + Pb collisions.

The NA49 collaboration Afanasiev, S.V. ; Anticic, T. ; Barna, D. ; et al.
Phys.Rev.C 66 (2002) 054902, 2002.
Inspire Record 586383 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.31729

Measurements of charged pion and kaon production in central Pb+Pb collisions at 40, 80 and 158 AGeV are presented. These are compared with data at lower and higher energies as well as with results from p+p interactions. The mean pion multiplicity per wounded nucleon increases approximately linearly with s_NN^1/4 with a change of slope starting in the region 15-40 AGeV. The change from pion suppression with respect to p+p interactions, as observed at low collision energies, to pion enhancement at high energies occurs at about 40 AGeV. A non-monotonic energy dependence of the ratio of K^+ to pi^+ yields is observed, with a maximum close to 40 AGeV and an indication of a nearly constant value at higher energies.The measured dependences may be related to an increase of the entropy production and a decrease of the strangeness to entropy ratio in central Pb+Pb collisions in the low SPS energy range, which is consistent with the hypothesis that a transient state of deconfined matter is created above these energies. Other interpretations of the data are also discussed.

33 data tables

The centrality of the collisions expressed as a percentage of the inelastic cross section (7.15nb), and the mean numbers of wounded nuclei.

The inverse slope parameter of the fitted transverse mass spectra.

The rapidity density averaged over the rapidity interval -0.6 to 0.6.

More…

Ratios of charged antiparticles to particles near mid-rapidity in Au + Au collisions at s(N N)**(1/2) = 130-GeV.

The PHOBOS collaboration Back, B.B. ; Baker, M.D. ; Barton, D.S. ; et al.
Phys.Rev.Lett. 87 (2001) 102301, 2001.
Inspire Record 555572 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.41707

We have measured the ratios of antiparticles to particles for charged pions, kaons and protons near mid-rapidity in central Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 130 GeV. For protons, we observe pbar/p = 0.60 +/- 0.04 (stat.) +/- 0.06 (syst.) in the transverse momentum range 0.15 < p_T < 1.0 GeV/c. This leads to an estimate of the baryo-chemical potential mu_B of 45 MeV, a factor of 5-6 smaller than in central Pb+Pb collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 17.2 GeV.

1 data table

130 GeV is sqrt(S) per nucleon-nucleon collision.


Strange meson enhancement in Pb Pb collisions.

The NA44 collaboration Bearden, I. ; Bøggild, H. ; Boissevain, J. ; et al.
Phys.Lett.B 471 (1999) 6-12, 1999.
Inspire Record 504074 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.31360

The NA44 Collaboration has measured yields and differential distributions of K+, K-, pi+, pi- in transverse kinetic energy and rapidity, around the center-of-mass rapidity in 158 A GeV/c Pb+Pb collisions at the CERN SPS. A considerable enhancement of K+ production per pi is observed, as compared to p+p collisions at this energy. To illustrate the importance of secondary hadron rescattering as an enhancement mechanism, we compare strangeness production at the SPS and AGS with predictions of the transport model RQMD.

4 data tables

Inverse slope paramters of the (1/MT)*DN/DMT distribution.

Rapidity distributions for K+ and K- production.. Statistical and systematic errors added in quadrature.

Rapidity distributions for PI+ and PI- production.. Statistical and systematic errors added in quadrature.

More…

An Excitation function of K- and K+ production in Au + Au reactions at the AGS

The E866 & E917 collaborations Ahle, L ; Akiba, Y ; Ashktorab, K ; et al.
Phys.Lett.B 490 (2000) 53-60, 2000.
Inspire Record 531905 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.31473

Mid-rapidity spectra and yields of K$^-$ and K$^+$ have been measured for Au+Au collisions at 4, 6, 8, and 10.7 AGeV. The K$^-$ yield increases faster with beam energy than for K$^+$ and hence the K$^-$/K$^+$ ratio increases with beam energy. This ratio is studied as a function of both $\sqrt{s}$ and $\sqrt{s}$-$\sqrt{s_{th}}$ which allows the direct comparison of the kaon yields with respect to the production threshold in p+p reactions. For equal $\sqrt{s}$ - $\sqrt{s_{th}}$ the measured ratio K$^-$/K$^+$=0.2 at energies above threshold in contrast to the K$^-$/K$^+$ ratio of near unity observed at energies below threshold. The use of the K$^-$/K$^+$ ratio to test the predicted changes of kaon properties in dense nuclear matter is discussed.

3 data tables

Only statistical errors are presented.

Only statistical errors are presented.

Only statistical errors are presented.


Kaon and proton ratios from central Pb + Pb collisions at the CERN SPS.

The NA44 collaboration Kaneta, M. ; Bearden, I.G. ; Bøggild, H. ; et al.
Nucl.Phys.A 638 (1998) 419-422, 1998.
Inspire Record 481886 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.36250

K − /K + and p ¯ / p ratios measured in 158 A·GeV Pb+Pb collisions are shown as a function of transverse momentum P T and centrality in top 8.5% central region. Little centrality dependence of the K − / K + and p ¯ / p ratios is observed. The transverse mass m T distribution and dN/dy of K + , K − , p and p ¯ around mid-rapidity are obtained. The temperature T ch and the chemical potentials for both light and strange quarks (μ q , μ s ) at chemical freeze-out are determined by applying simple thermodynamical model to the present data. The resultant μ q , μ s and T ch are compared with those obtained from similar analysis of SPS S+A and AGS Si+A data. The chemical freeze-out temperature T ch at CERN energies is higher than thermal freeze-out temperature T fo which is extracted from m T distribution of charged hadrons. At AGS energies T ch is close to T fo .

2 data tables

Data obtained from the fit of MT spectra.

Data obtained from the fit of MT spectra.


Charged particle production in S S collisions at 200-GeV/c per nucleon

The WA94 collaboration Andrighetto, A. ; Antinori, F. ; Bayes, A.C. ; et al.
Phys.Lett.B 412 (1997) 148-154, 1997.
Inspire Record 460283 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.28242

Charged particle production in central S-S collisions at 200 GeV/ c per nucleon has been studied by the WA94 experiment at the CERN-SPS. Particle identification has been provided by the Omega RICH, while a silicon telescope in the Omega spectrometer and an array of MultiWire Proportional Chambers have been used to trace particles through the RICH detector. Production ratios and transverse mass spectra for π ± , K ± and p( p ) at central rapidity and p T > 1.3 GeV/ c are presented.

3 data tables

Distributions are fitted with (1/MT**1.5)*DSIG/DMT = CONST*EXP(-MT/SLOPE).

1.54 GeV ratio is calculated from the fit to the MT distribution.

1.54 GeV ratio is calculated from the fit to the MT distribution.


K+ production in the reaction Ni-58 + Ni-58 at incident energies from 1-A-GeV to 2-A-GeV.

The FOPI collaboration Best, D ; Herrmann, N ; Hong, B ; et al.
Nucl.Phys.A 625 (1997) 307-324, 1997.
Inspire Record 441884 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.36288

Semi-inclusive triple differential multiplicity distributions of positively charged kaons have been measured over a wide range in rapidity and transverse mass for central collisions of $^{58}$Ni with $^{58}$Ni nuclei. The transverse mass ($m_t$) spectra have been studied as a function of rapidity at a beam energy 1.93 AGeV. The $m_t$ distributions of K^+ mesons are well described by a single Boltzmann-type function. The spectral slopes are similar to that of the protons indicating that rescattering plays a significant role in the propagation of the kaon. Multiplicity densities have been obtained as a function of rapidity by extrapolating the Boltzmann-type fits to the measured distributions over the remaining phase space. The total K^+ meson yield has been determined at beam energies of 1.06, 1.45, and 1.93 AGeV, and is presented in comparison to existing data. The low total yield indicates that the K^+ meson can not be explained within a hadro-chemical equilibrium scenario, therefore indicating that the yield does remain sensitive to effects related to its production processes such as the equation of state of nuclear matter and/or modifications to the K^+ dispersion relation.

1 data table

No description provided.