224 research outputs found
Isotopic Dependence of the Nuclear Caloric Curve
The A/Z dependence of projectile fragmentation at relativistic energies has
been studied with the ALADIN forward spectrometer at SIS. A stable beam of
124Sn and radioactive beams of 124La and 107Sn at 600 MeV per nucleon have been
used in order to explore a wide range of isotopic compositions. Chemical
freeze-out temperatures are found to be nearly invariant with respect to the
A/Z of the produced spectator sources, consistent with predictions for expanded
systems. Small Coulomb effects (\Delta T \approx 0.6 MeV) appear for residue
production near the onset of multifragmentation.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publ. in Phys. Rev. Let
Tracing a phase transition with fluctuations of the largest fragment size: Statistical multifragmentation models and the ALADIN S254 data
A phase transition signature associated with cumulants of the largest
fragment size distribution has been identified in statistical
multifragmentation models and examined in analysis of the ALADIN S254 data on
fragmentation of neutron-poor and neutron-rich projectiles. Characteristics of
the transition point indicated by this signature are weakly dependent on the
A/Z ratio of the fragmenting spectator source. In particular, chemical
freeze-out temperatures are estimated within the range 5.9 to 6.5 MeV. The
experimental results are well reproduced by the SMM model.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, Proceedings of the International Workshop on
Multifragmentation and Related Topics (IWM2009), Catania, Italy, November
2009
Neutron recognition in the LAND detector for large neutron multiplicity
The performance of the LAND neutron detector is studied. Using an
event-mixing technique based on one-neutron data obtained in the S107
experiment at the GSI laboratory, we test the efficiency of various analytic
tools used to determine the multiplicity and kinematic properties of detected
neutrons. A new algorithm developed recently for recognizing neutron showers
from spectator decays in the ALADIN experiment S254 is described in detail. Its
performance is assessed in comparison with other methods. The properties of the
observed neutron events are used to estimate the detection efficiency of LAND
in this experiment.Comment: 16 pages, 8 figure
Isospin dependent multifragmentation of relativistic projectiles
The N/Z dependence of projectile fragmentation at relativistic energies has
been studied with the ALADIN forward spectrometer at the GSI Schwerionen
Synchrotron (SIS). Stable and radioactive Sn and La beams with an incident
energy of 600 MeV per nucleon have been used in order to explore a wide range
of isotopic compositions. For the interpretation of the data, calculations with
the statistical multifragmentation model for a properly chosen ensemble of
excited sources were performed. The parameters of the ensemble, representing
the variety of excited spectator nuclei expected in a participant-spectator
scenario, are determined empirically by searching for an optimum reproduction
of the measured fragment-charge distributions and correlations. An overall very
good agreement is obtained. The possible modification of the liquid-drop
parameters of the fragment description in the hot freeze-out environment is
studied, and a significant reduction of the symmetry-term coefficient is found
necessary to reproduce the mean neutron-to-proton ratios /Z and the
isoscaling parameters of Z<=10 fragments. The calculations are, furthermore,
used to address open questions regarding the modification of the surface-term
coefficient at freeze-out, the N/Z dependence of the nuclear caloric curve, and
the isotopic evolution of the spectator system between its formation during the
initial cascade stage of the reaction and its subsequent breakup.Comment: 23 pages, 29 figures, published in Physical Review
System size dependence of strange particle yields and spectra at sqrt(s)=17.3 GeV
Yields and spectra of strange hadrons (K+, K-, phi, Lambda and Antilambda) as
well as of charged pions were measured in near central C+C and Si+Si collisions
at 158 AGeV beam energy with the NA49 detector. Together with earlier data for
p+p, S+S and Pb+Pb reactions the system size dependence can be studied.
Relative strangeness production rises fast and saturates at about 60
participating nucleons; the net hyperon spectra show an increasing shift
towards midrapidity for larger colliding nuclei. An interpretation based on the
formation of coherent systems of increasing volume is proposed. The transverse
mass spectra can be described by a blast wave ansatz. Increasing flow velocity
is accompanied by decreasing temperatures for both kinetic and chemical freeze
out. The increasing gap between inelastic and elastic decoupling leaves space
for rescattering.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, Proceedings of the Hot Quarks 2004 worksho
Results on correlations and fluctuations from NA49
The large acceptance and high momentum resolution as well as the significant
particle identification capabilities of the NA49 experiment at the CERN SPS
allow for a broad study of fluctuations and correlations in hadronic
interactions. In the first part recent results on event-by-event charge and p_t
fluctuations are presented. Charge fluctuations in central Pb+Pb reactions are
investigated at three different beam energies (40, 80, and 158 AGeV), while for
the p_t fluctuations the focus is put on the system size dependence at 158
AGeV. In the second part recent results on Bose Einstein correlations of h-h-
pairs in minimum bias Pb+Pb reactions at 40 and 158 AGeV, as well as of K+K+
and K-K- pairs in central Pb+Pb collisions at 158 AGeV are shown. Additionally,
other types of two particle correlations, namely pi p, Lambda p, and Lambda
Lambda correlations, have been measured by the NA49 experiment. Finally,
results on the energy and system size dependence of deuteron coalescence are
discussed.Comment: 10 pages, 12 figures, Presented at Quark Matter 2002, Nantes, France,
Corrected error in Eq.
Event-by-Event Fluctuations of Particle Ratios in Central Pb+Pb Collisions at 20 to 158 AGeV
In the vicinity of the QCD phase transition, critical fluctuations have been
predicted to lead to non-statistical fluctuations of particle ratios, depending
on the nature of the phase transition. Recent results of the NA49 energy scan
program show a sharp maximum of the ratio of K+ to Pi+ yields in central Pb+Pb
collisions at beam energies of 20-30 AGeV. This observation has been
interpreted as an indication of a phase transition at low SPS energies. We
present first results on event-by-event fluctuations of the kaon to pion and
proton to pion ratios at beam energies close to this maximum.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, Quark Matter 2004 proceeding
Multiplicity fluctuations in nuclear collisions at 158 A GeV
System size dependence of multiplicity fluctuations of charged particles
produced in nuclear collisions at 158 A GeV was studied in the NA49 CERN
experiment. Results indicate a non-monotonic dependence of the scaled variance
of the multiplicity distribution with a maximum for semi-peripheral Pb+Pb
interactions with number of projectile participants of about 35. This effect is
not observed in a string-hadronic model of nuclear collision HIJING.Comment: Presented at "Focus on Multiplicity", 17-19 of June, Bari, Ital
Observation of an Exotic S = -2, Q = -2 Baryon Resonance in Proton-Proton Collisions at the CERN SPS
Results of resonance searches in the Xi- pi-, Xi- pi+, antiXi+ pi- and
antiXi+ pi+ invariant mass spectra in proton-proton collisions at sqrt{s}=17.2
GeV are presented. Evidence is shown for the existence of a narrow Xi- pi-
baryon resonance with mass of 1.862+/-0.002 GeV/c^2 and width below the
detector resolution of about 0.018 GeV/c^2. The significance is estimated to be
4.0 sigma. This state is a candidate for the hypothetical exotic Xi_(3/2)^--
baryon with S = -2, I = 3/2 and a quark content of (d s d s ubar). At the same
mass a peak is observed in the Xi- pi+ spectrum which is a candidate for the
Xi_(3/2)^0 member of this isospin quartet with a quark content of (d s u s
dbar). The corresponding antibaryon spectra also show enhancements at the same
invariant mass.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
Omega and Antiomega production in central Pb+Pb collisions at 40 and 158 AGeV
Results are presented on Omega production in central Pb+Pb collisions at 40
and 158 AGeV beam energy. Given are transverse-mass spectra, rapidity
distributions, and total yields for the sum Omega+Antiomega at 40 AGeV and for
Omega and Antiomega separately at 158 AGeV. The yields are strongly
under-predicted by the string-hadronic UrQMD model and are in better agreement
with predictions from a hadron gas models.Comment: 5 papes, 4 figures, 1 table, updated figure 4 and table 1. Final
version, including some editorial changes, as published in PR
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