Probing the medium at RHIC by identified particles

作者：Barannikova Olga^*

来源：Journal of Physics G: Nuclear and Particle Physics , 2007, 34(8): S305-S311.

DOI：10.1088/0954-3899/34/8/S16

In a few years of RHIC running major advances have been made in understanding the dynamics of heavy-ion collisions in this new regime of unprecedented high-energy densities. Ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions at RHIC have provided a unique environment to create a nuclear medium that exhibits a variety of novel properties (Arsene et al 2005 Nucl. Phys. A 757 1, Back et al 2005 Nucl. Phys. A 757 28, Adcox et al 2005 Nucl. Phys. A 757 184, Adams et al 2005 Nucl. Phys. A 757 102). Determining whether the quarks and gluons in this matter reach thermal equilibrium with one another before they become confined within hadrons is one of the most important questions for understanding this new form of matter. A set of interesting features indicating relevance of partonic degrees of freedom at hadronization is observed in the identified measurements of nuclear modification factors, elliptical flow (upsilon(2)) and particle ratios in the intermediate transverse momentum range (2 < p(T) < 6GeV / c) at RHIC. Those observations are reviewed in this paper in the context of various theoretical models.

• 出版日期2007-8