Collective Flow Distributions and Nuclear Stopping in Heavy-ion Collisions at AGS, SPS and RHIC

We study the production of proton, antiproton and net-proton at \AGS, \SPS and \RHIC within the framework non-uniform flow model(NUFM) in this paper. It is found that the system of RHIC has stronger longitudinally non-uniform feature than AGS and SPS, which means that nuclei at RHIC energy region is much more transparent. The NUFM model provides a very good description of all proton rapidity at whole AGS, SPS and RHIC. It is shown that our analysis relates closely to the study of nuclear stopping and longitudinally non-uniform flow distribution of experiment. This comparison with AGS and SPS help us to understand the feature of particle stopping of thermal freeze-out at RHIC experiment.Comment: 16 pages,7 figure

Exploring Prompt Measurement Methods for (n,2n) Cross Sections on Radioactive Targets

This report summarizes a study of possible neutron detection technologies for performing prompt (n,2n) measurements on radioactive targets of the type that could be made at the Rare Isotope Accelerator (RIA). The report recommends conducting further research on high-pressure {sup 3}He gas scintillators as it is the best candidate technology. These detectors meet the requirements of a fast response time (fall times around 5-10 ns), gamma ray suppression, (all gamma rays below about 900 keV can be easily discriminated against), and can be easily configured into a 4{pi} array. The one requirement that these detectors fall short is efficiency, but less than a factor of 10 improvement is needed. The possibility of pulse shape discrimination should also be explored for these detectors as this would help to distinguish gamma rays above 900 keV from neutrons. In addition to R&D work on these detectors, Monte Carlo simulations and target development are also recommended areas of further study

Strange Particle Production from SIS to LHC

>1A review of meson emission in heavy ion collisions at incident energies from SIS up to collider energies is presented. A statistical model assuming chemical equilibrium and local strangeness conservation (i.e. strangeness conservation per collision) explains most of the observed features. Emphasis is put onto the study of $K^+$ and $K^-$ emission at low incident energies. In the framework of this statistical model it is shown that the experimentally observed equality of $K^+$ and $K^-$ rates at ``threshold-corrected'' energies $\sqrt{s} - \sqrt{s_{th}}$ is due to a crossing of two excitation functions. Furthermore, the independence of the $K^+$ to $K^-$ ratio on the number of participating nucleons observed between SIS and RHIC is consistent with this model. It is demonstrated that the $K^-$ production at SIS energies occurs predominantly via strangeness exchange and this channel is approaching chemical equilibrium. The observed maximum in the $K^+/\pi^+$ excitation function is also seen in the ratio of strange to non-strange particle production. The appearance of this maximum around 30 $A\cdot$GeV is due to the energy dependence of the chemical freeze-out parameters $T$ and $\mu_B$.Comment: Presented at the International Workshop "On the Physics of the Quark-Gluon Plasma", Palaiseau, France, September 2001. 10 pages, 8 figure

Heavy ion fusion experiments at LBNL and LLNL

The long-range goal of the US Heavy Ion Fusion (HIF) program is to develop heavy ion accelerators capable of igniting inertial fusion targets to generate fusion energy for electrical power production. Accelerators for heavy ion fusion consist of several subsystems: ion sources, injectors, matching sections, combiners, induction acceleration sections with electric and magnetic focusing, beam compression and bending sections, and a final-focus system to focus the beams onto the target. We are currently assembling or performing experiments to address the physics of all these subsystems. This paper will discuss some of these experiments

Violation of energy-per-hadron scaling in a resonance matter

Yields of hadrons, their average masses and energies per hadron at the stage of chemical freeze-out in (ultra)relativistic heavy-ion collisions are analyzed within the statistical model. The violation of the scaling / = 1 GeV observed in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 130 AGeV is linked to the formation of resonance-rich matter with a considerable fraction of baryons and antibaryons. The rise of the energy-per-hadron ratio in baryon-dominated matter is discussed. A violation of the scaling condition is predicted for a very central zone of heavy-ion collisions at energies around 40 AGeV.Comment: 5 pages incl. 3 figures and 2 tables, to be published in Phys. Rev.

Global Security, Medical Isotopes, and Nuclear Science

Over the past century basic nuclear science research has led to the use of radioactive isotopes into a wide variety of applications that touch our lives everyday. Some are obvious, such as isotopes for medical diagnostics and treatment. Others are less so, such as National/Global security issues. And some we take for granted, like the small amount of 241Am that is in every smoke detector. At the beginning of this century, we are in a position where the prevalence and importance of some applications of nuclear science are pushing the basic nuclear science community for improved models and nuclear data. Yet, at the same time, the push by the basic nuclear science community to study nuclei that are farther and farther away from stability also offer new opportunities for many applications. This talk will look at several global security applications of nuclear science, summarizing current R&D and need for improved nuclear data It will also look at how applications of nuclear science, such as to medicine, will benefit from the push for more and more powerful radioactive ion beam facilities

Kaon and Φ\Phi production vs Participants in Nuclear Collisions

Data on kaon and $\Phi$ production in nuclear collisions as a function of centrality are analysed both at AGS and SPS energy range. We compare the results of several experiments, looking for common trend in `participant scaling' of production yields. We find a smooth description of scaled kaon and $\Phi$ yields as a function of participant density. We also show a participant density dependence of kaons and $\Phi$ produced in the forward hemisphere for proton-nucleus collisions.Comment: Proceedings of the International Conference on Strangeness in Quark Matter, 20-25 July 2000, Berkeley, CA. To appear in Journal of Physics G: Nuclear and Particle Physic