148 research outputs found
Elliptic Flow and Dissipation in Heavy-Ion Collisions at E_{lab} = (1--160)A GeV
Elliptic flow in heavy-ion collisions at incident energies
(1--160)A GeV is analyzed within the model of 3-fluid dynamics (3FD). We show
that a simple correction factor, taking into account dissipative affects,
allows us to adjust the 3FD results to experimental data. This single-parameter
fit results in a good reproduction of the elliptic flow as a function of the
incident energy, centrality of the collision and rapidity. The experimental
scaling of pion eccentricity-scaled elliptic flow versus
charged-hadron-multiplicity density per unit transverse area turns out to be
also reasonably described. Proceeding from values of the Knudsen number,
deduced from this fit, we estimate the upper limit the shear
viscosity-to-entropy ratio as at the SPS incident energies.
This value is of the order of minimal observed in water and liquid
nitrogen.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, version accepted by Phys. Rev.
Ion-induced electron production in tissue-like media and DNA damage mechanisms
We propose an inclusive approach for calculating characteristics of secondary
electrons produced by ions/protons in tissue-like media. This approach is based
on an analysis of the projectile's interaction with the medium on the
microscopic level. It allows us to obtain the energy spectrum and abundance of
secondary electrons as functions of the projectile kinetic energy. The physical
information obtained in this analysis is related to biological processes
responsible for the irrepearable DNA damage induced by the projectile. In
particular, we consider double strand breaks of DNA caused by secondary
electrons and free radicals, and local heating in the ion's track. The heating
may enhance the biological effectiveness of electron/free radical interactions
with the DNA and may even be considered as an independent mechanism of DNA
damage. Numerical estimates are performed for the case of carbon-ion beams. The
obtained dose-depth curves are compared with results of the MCHIT model based
on the GEANT4 toolkit.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, submitted to EPJD, included class files
svepj.clo, svjour.cl
Possible glueball production in relativistic heavy-ion collisions
Within a thermal model we estimate possible multiplicities of scalar
glueballs in central Au+Au collisions at AGS, SPS, RHIC and LHC energies. For
the glueball mass in the region 1.5-1.7 GeV, the model predicts on average (per
event) 0.5-1.5 glueballs at RHIC and 1.5-4 glueballs at LHC energies. Possible
enhancement mechanisms are discussed.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figure
Challenges for creating magnetic fields by cosmic defects
We analyse the possibility that topological defects can act as a source of
magnetic fields through the Harrison mechanism in the radiation era. We give a
detailed relativistic derivation of the Harrison mechanism at first order in
cosmological perturbations, and show that it is only efficient for temperatures
above T ~ 0.2 keV. Our main result is that the vector metric perturbations
generated by the defects cannot induce vorticity in the matter fluids at linear
order, thereby excluding the production of currents and magnetic fields. We
show that anisotropic stress in the matter fluids is required to source
vorticity and magnetic fields. Our analysis is relevant for any mechanism
whereby vorticity is meant to be transferred purely by gravitational
interactions, and thus would also apply to dark matter or neutrinos.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure; minor corrections and additions; accepted for
publication in Physical Review
A multi-scale approach to the physics of ion beam cancer therapy
We propose a multi-scale approach to understanding physics related to the
ion/proton-beam cancer therapy and calculation of the probability of the DNA
damage as a result of irradiation of patients with energetic (up to 430 MeV/u)
ions. This approach is inclusive with respect to different scales starting from
the long scale defined by the ion stopping followed by a smaller scale defined
by secondary electrons and radicals ending with the shortest scale defined by
interactions of secondaries with the DNA. We present calculations of the
probabilities of single and double strand breaks of the DNA and suggest a way
of further elaboration of such calculations.Comment: submitted to RADAM2008 proceedings. 8 pages,5 Figures, class files
for AIP include
Evolution of Baryon-Free Matter Produced in Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collisions
A 3-fluid hydrodynamic model is introduced for simulating heavy-ion
collisions at incident energies between few and about 200 AGeV. In addition to
the two baryon-rich fluids of 2-fluid models, the new model incorporates a
third, baryon-free (i.e. with zero net baryonic charge) fluid which is created
in the mid-rapidity region. Its evolution is delayed due to a formation time
, during which the baryon-free fluid neither thermalizes nor interacts
with the baryon-rich fluids. After formation it thermalizes and starts to
interact with the baryon-rich fluids. It is found that for =0 the
interaction strongly affects the baryon-free fluid. However, at reasonable
finite formation time, =1 fm/c, the effect of this interaction turns out
to be substantially reduced although still noticeable. Baryonic observables are
only slightly affected by the interaction with the baryon-free fluid.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figures, submitted to the issue of Phys. of Atomic Nuclei
dedicated to S.T. Belyaev on the occasion of his 80th birthday, typos
correcte
Chemical Freeze-out of Strange Particles and Possible Root of Strangeness Suppression
Two approaches to treat the chemical freeze-out of strange particles in
hadron resonance gas model are analyzed. The first one employs their
non-equillibration via the usual \gamma_s factor and such a model describes the
hadron multiplicities measured in nucleus-nucleus collisions at AGS, SPS and
RHIC energies with \chi^2/dof = 1.15. Surprisingly, at low energies we find not
the strangeness suppression, but its enhancement. Also we suggest an
alternative approach to treat the strange particle freeze-out separately, but
with the full chemical equilibration. This approach is based on the
conservation laws which allow us to connect the freeze-outs of strange and
non-strange hadrons. Within the suggested approach the same set of hadron
multiplicities can be described better than within the conventional approach
with \chi^2/dof = 1.06. Remarkably, the fully equilibrated approach describes
the strange hyperons and antihyperons much better than the conventional one.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure
A Cosmic Battery
We show that the Poynting-Robertson drag effect in an optically thin
advection-dominated accretion flow around active gravitating objects generates
strong azimuthal electric currents which give rise to astrophysically
significant magnetic fields. Although the mechanism is most effective in
accreting compact objects, it seems very promising to also account for the
generation of stellar dipolar fields during the late protostellar collapse
phase, when the star approaches the main sequence.Comment: 12 pages Latex, 1 postscript figure, to appear in the Astrophysical
Journa
Strange quark matter within the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model
Equation of state of baryon rich quark matter is studied within the SU(3)
Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model with flavour mixing interaction. Possible bound states
(strangelets) and chiral phase transitions in this matter are investigated at
various values of strangeness fraction S/3B. The model predictions are very
sensitive to the ratio of vector (Gv) and scalar (Gs) coupling constants. At
Gv/Gs=0.5 and zero temperature the maximum binding energy (about 15 MeV per
baryon) takes place when strangeness fraction is about 0.4. Such strangelets
are negatively charged and have typical life times of the order of 100 ns.
Calculations are carried out also at finite temperatures. They show that bound
states exist up to temperatures of about 15 MeV. The model predicts a first
order chiral phase transition at finite baryon densities. The parameters of
this phase transition are calculated as function of strangeness fraction.Comment: 29 pages, 10 figures, to be published in Physics of Atomic Nuclei,
the memorial volume devoted to the 90th birthday of A.B. Migda
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