The extreme temperatures and energy densities generated by ultra-relativistic collisions between heavy nuclei produce a state of matter with surprising fluid properties. Non-central collisions have angular momentum on the order of 1000$\hbar$, and the resulting fluid may have a strong vortical structure that must be understood to properly describe the fluid. It is also of particular interest because the restoration of fundamental symmetries of quantum chromodynamics is expected to produce novel physical effects in the presence of strong vorticity. However, no experimental indications of fluid vorticity in heavy ion collisions have so far been found. Here we present the first measurement of an alignment between the angular momentum of a non-central collision and the spin of emitted particles, revealing that the fluid produced in heavy ion collisions is by far the most vortical system ever observed. We find that $\Lambda$ and $\overline{\Lambda}$ hyperons show a positive polarization of the order of a few percent, consistent with some hydrodynamic predictions. A previous measurement that reported a null result at higher collision energies is seen to be consistent with the trend of our new observations, though with larger statistical uncertainties. These data provide the first experimental access to the vortical structure of the "perfect fluid" created in a heavy ion collision. They should prove valuable in the development of hydrodynamic models that quantitatively connect observations to the theory of the Strong Force. Our results extend the recent discovery of hydrodynamic spin alignment to the subatomic realm.
Lambda and AntiLambda polarization as a function of collision energy. A 0.8% error on the alpha value used in the paper is corrected in this table. Systematic error bars include those associated with particle identification (negligible), uncertainty in the value of the hyperon decay parameter (2%) and reaction plane resolution (2%) and detector efficiency corrections (4%). The dominant systematic error comes from statistical fluctuations of the estimated combinatoric background under the (anti-)$\Lambda$ mass peak.
Lambda and AntiLambda polarization as a function of collision energy calculated using the new $\alpha_\Lambda=0.732$ updated on PDG2020. Systematic error bars include those associated with particle identification (negligible), uncertainty in the value of the hyperon decay parameter (2%) and reaction plane resolution (2%) and detector efficiency corrections (4%). The dominant systematic error comes from statistical fluctuations of the estimated combinatoric background under the (anti-)$\Lambda$ mass peak.
We present a measurement of the polarization of Antilambda hyperons produced in nu_mu charged current interactions. The full data sample from the NOMAD experiment has been analyzed using the same V0 identification procedure and analysis method reported in a previous paper for the case of Lambda hyperons. The Antilambda polarization has been measured for the first time in a neutrino experiment. The polarization vector is found to be compatible with zero.
Lambdabar polarization in regions of Feynman X (XL).
Lambdabar polarization in regions of the Bjorken scaling variable X.
Exclusive ϱ 0 production has been measured in 120, 200 and 280 GeV muon-proton interactions at high Q 2 (1 GeV 2 < Q 2 < 25 GeV 2 ) and W (6 GeV < W < 19 GeV). The photoproduction cross section decreases as 1/ Q 4 . A shallow t distribution, typical of a hard scattering process is observed and the ϱ 0 is found to be dominantly in the helicity zero spin state. The ϱ 0 s are mainly produced by transverse photons and s -channel helicity conservation seems to be invalid. The data cannot be described by the vector meson dominance model. These data show that at high Q 2 even exclusive ϱ 0 muoproduction is a hard scattering process and that the soft hadron-like properties of the photon have disappeared.
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SYSTEMATIC ERROR ON SLOPE IN 0.8.
The reaction π − p↑→ π − π + π − p has been measured at 17 GeV/ c using a polarized target. The data sample contains about 60 000 interactions on polarized protons. The nucleon polarization as a function of momentum transfer is very similar to elastic π − p scattering and is nearly independent of the π mass, except for a possible structure around 1.2 GeV.
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AVERAGED OVER ALL PRODUCTION ANGLES.
The spin rotation parameter R has been measured at CERN, for π ± p at 6 GeV c and for π − p at 16 GeV c , with t ranging from −0.19 to −0.51 ( GeV c ) 2 . The parameter A was measured for π − p at 6 GeV c in the interval between t =−0.19 and minus;0.41 ( GeV c ) 2 . The averaged values are the following; R (+6) =−0.08±0.04, R (−6) =−0.23±0.05 and R (−16) =−0.23±0.05. The values obtained for A are close to +1.
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The spin rotation parameter R in elastic proton-proton scattering has been determined at incident momenta 6 and 16 GeV/ c in the interval from t = −0.18 (GeV/ c ) 2 to −0.54 (GeV/ c ) 2 . R pp at 16 GeV/ c is close to the val obtained for R in π − p elastic scattering at the same incident momentum. Equality of R pp ( s , t ) and R π p ( s , t ) is expected if Pomeron exchange dominates and if factorization holds. The t -dependence of R at 16 GeV/ c is consistent with weak helicity flip.
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The spin rotation sf R in pp and π + p elastic scattering at 45 GeV/c has been measured at the Seppukhov accelarator, for z . sfnc ; t |; ranging from 0.2 to 0.5 (GeV/) 2 . The results are presented, together with previous R measurements at lower energies. The equality of the values for R in proton-proton and pion-proton scattering, within the experimental errors, is a test of factorization of the residues in the pomeron exchange.
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The polarization P in proton-proton elastic scattering has been measured at 3.83 GeV/ c for 0.35 ⩽ | t | ⩽ 3.0 (GeV/ c ) 2 , i.e. 29° ⩽ θ c.m. ⩽ 93°. The polarization shows a minimum at − ⋍ 1.0 ( GeV /c) 2 followed by a maximum at −⋍1.5 ( GeV /c) 2 . At the same energy the spin rotation parameter R has been measured in the interval 0.18 ⩽ | t | ⩽ 0.57 (GeV/ c ) 2 . Comparison with the results at 6.0 and 15.75 GeV/ c shows a similar t -dependence and the same average value at all three energies.
POLARIZED TARGET ASYMMETRY EQUALS RECOIL PROTON POLARIZATION BY TIME REVERSAL INVARIANCE.
'A'. 'B'. 'D'.
'A'. 'B'. 'C'. 'E'.
The polarization parameter P has been measured for elastic π + p, K + p and pp scattering at 45 GeV/c. Four-momentum transfer ranges from −0.08 to −1.1 (GeV/) 2 for pp, and from −0.08 to −0.9 (GeV/) 2 for π + p and K + p. The energy dependence of the polarization P ( t ) in π + p and in K + p above 6 GeV/c incident momentum is compatible with interference between pomeron and Regge poles. On the other hand, the polarization in p p elastic scattering decreases faster than ordinary Regge model predictions. This result can be explained by interference between non flip and flip amplitudes of the pomeron, leading to negative values for the polarization.
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