Parton cascade description of relativistic heavy-ion collisions at CERN SPS energies ?

We examine Pb+Pb collisions at CERN SPS energy 158 A GeV, by employing the earlier developed and recently refined parton-cascade/cluster-hadronization model and its Monte Carlo implementation. This space-time model involves the dynamical interplay of perturbative QCD parton production and evolution, with non-perturbative parton-cluster formation and hadron production through cluster decays. Using computer simulations, we are able to follow the entwined time-evolution of parton and hadron degrees of freedom in both position and momentum space, from the instant of nuclear overlap to the final yield of particles. We present and discuss results for the multiplicity distributions, which agree well with the measured data from the CERN SPS, including those for K mesons. The transverse momentum distributions of the produced hadrons are also found to be in good agreement with the preliminary data measured by the NA49 and the WA98 collaboration for the collision of lead nuclei at the CERN SPS. The analysis of the time evolution of transverse energy deposited in the collision zone and the energy density suggests an existence of partonic matter for a time of more than 5 fm.Comment: 16 pages including 7 postscript figure

Advanced recovery systems wind tunnel test report

Pioneer Aerospace Corporation (PAC) conducted parafoil wind tunnel testing in the NASA-Ames 80 by 120 test sections of the National Full-Scale Aerodynamic Complex, Moffett Field, CA. The investigation was conducted to determine the aerodynamic characteristics of two scale ram air wings in support of air drop testing and full scale development of Advanced Recovery Systems for the Next Generation Space Transportation System. Two models were tested during this investigation. Both the primary test article, a 1/9 geometric scale model with wing area of 1200 square feet and secondary test article, a 1/36 geometric scale model with wing area of 300 square feet, had an aspect ratio of 3. The test results show that both models were statically stable about a model reference point at angles of attack from 2 to 10 degrees. The maximum lift-drag ratio varied between 2.9 and 2.4 for increasing wing loading

Analysis of reaction dynamics at RHIC in a combined parton/hadron transport approach

We introduce a transport approach which combines partonic and hadronic degrees of freedom on an equal footing and discuss the resulting reaction dynamics. The initial parton dynamics is modeled in the framework of the parton cascade model, hadronization is performed via a cluster hadronization model and configuration space coalescence, and the hadronic phase is described by a microscopic hadronic transport approach. The resulting reaction dynamics indicates a strong influence of hadronic rescattering on the space-time pattern of hadronic freeze-out and on the shape of transverse mass spectra. Freeze-out times and transverse radii increase by factors of 2 - 3 depending on the hadron species.Comment: 10 pages, 4 eps figures include

Inclusive Particle Spectra at RHIC

A simulation is performed of the recently reported data from PHOBOS at energies of 56 and 130 A GeV using the relativistic heavy ion cascade LUCIFER which had previously given a good description of the NA49 inclusive spectra at E=17.2 A GeV. The results compare well with these early measurements at RHIC.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Out of Equilibrium Non-perturbative Quantum Field Dynamics in Homogeneous External Fields

The quantum dynamics of the symmetry broken lambda (Phi^2)^2 scalar field theory in the presence of an homogeneous external field is investigated in the large N limit. We choose as initial state the ground state for a constant external field J .The sign of the external field is suddenly flipped from J to - J at a given time and the subsequent quantum dynamics calculated. Spinodal instabilities and parametric resonances produce large quantum fluctuations in the field components transverse to the external field. This allows the order parameter to turn around the maximum of the potential for intermediate times. Subsequently, the order parameter starts to oscillate near the global minimum for external field - J, entering a novel quasi-periodic regime.Comment: LaTex, 30 pages, 12 .ps figures, improved version to appear in Phys Rev

Thermal and Chemical Equilibration in Relativistic Heavy Ion Collisions

We investigate the thermalization and the chemical equilibration of a parton plasma created from Au+Au collision at LHC and RHIC energies starting from the early moment when the particle momentum distributions in the central region become for the first time isotropic due to longitudinal cooling. Using the relaxation time approximation for the collision terms in the Boltzmann equations for gluons and for quarks and the real collision terms constructed from the simplest QCD interactions, we show that the collision times have the right behaviour for equilibration. The magnitude of the quark (antiquark) collision time remains bigger than the gluon collision time throughout the lifetime of the plasma so that gluons are equilibrating faster than quarks both chemically and kinetically. That is we have a two-stage equilibration scenario as has been pointed out already by Shuryak sometimes ago. Full kinetic equilibration is however slow and chemical equilibration cannot be completed before the onset of the deconfinement phase transition assumed to be at $T_c=200$ MeV. By comparing the collision entropy density rates of the different processes, we show explicitly that inelastic processes, and \emph{not} elastic processes as is commonly assumed, are dominant in the equilibration of the plasma and that gluon branching leads the other processes in entropy generation. We also show that, within perturbative QCD, processes with higher power in \alpha_s need not be less important for the purpose of equilibration than those with lower power. The state of equilibration of the system has also a role to play. We compare our results with those of the parton cascade model.Comment: 17 pages, revtex+psfig style with 14 embedded postscript figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Soft Electromagnetic Radiations From Equilibrating Quark-Gluon Plasma

We evaluate the bremsstrahlung production of low mass dileptons and soft photons from equilibrating and transversely expanding quark gluon plasma which may be created in the wake of relativistic heavy ion collisions. We use initial conditions obtained from the self screened parton cascade model. We consider a boost invariant longitudinal and cylindrically symmetric transverse expansion of the parton plasma and find that for low mass dileptons ($M \leq 0.3$ GeV) and soft photons ($p_{T} \leq 0.5$ GeV), the bremsstrahlung contribution is rather large compared to annihilation process at both RHIC and LHC energies. We also find an increase by a factor of 15-20 in the low mass dileptons and soft photons yield as one goes from RHIC to LHC energies.Comment: 8 pages, including 7 figures To appear in Phys. Rev.

Examining the Personal and Institutional Determinants of Research Productivity in Hospitality and Tourism Management

The transition toward a post-capitalist knowledge-oriented economy has resulted in an increasingly competitive academic environment, where the success of faculty is dependent on their research productivity. This study examines the personal and institutional determinants of the quantity and quality of the research productivity of hospitality and tourism management faculty in US institutions. A survey of 98 faculty found that a different set of determinants impact the quantity and quality aspects of research productivity. Also, institutional determinants were found to play a larger role, indicating the need for administrators to strive for a culture that is supportive of and an infrastructure that is conducive to their faculty’s research success. The authors use the field of hospitality and tourism management as a case study to develop a holistic and cohesive framework for knowledge worker productivity that can guide the evaluation, hiring, and development of researchers