756 research outputs found
Multiplicity fluctuations in relativistic nuclear collisions
Multiplicity distributions of hadrons produced in central nucleus-nucleus
collisions are studied within the hadron-resonance gas model in the large
volume limit. In the canonical ensemble conservation of three charges (baryon
number, electric charge, and strangeness) is enforced. In addition, in the
micro-canonical ensemble energy conservation is included. An analytical method
is used to account for resonance decays. Multiplicity distributions and scaled
variances for negatively charged hadrons are presented along the chemical
freeze-out line of central Pb+Pb (Au+Au) collisions from SIS to LHC energies.
Predictions obtained within different statistical ensembles are compared with
preliminary NA49 experimental results on central Pb+Pb collisions in the SPS
energy range. The measured fluctuations are significantly narrower than a
Poisson reference distribution, and clearly favor expectations for the
micro-canonical ensemble.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure
Multiplicity Distributions in Canonical and Microcanonical Statistical Ensembles
The aim of this paper is to introduce a new technique for calculation of
observables, in particular multiplicity distributions, in various statistical
ensembles at finite volume. The method is based on Fourier analysis of the
grand canonical partition function. Taylor expansion of the generating function
is used to separate contributions to the partition function in their power in
volume. We employ Laplace's asymptotic expansion to show that any equilibrium
distribution of multiplicity, charge, energy, etc. tends to a multivariate
normal distribution in the thermodynamic limit. Gram-Charlier expansion allows
additionally for calculation of finite volume corrections. Analytical formulas
are presented for inclusion of resonance decay and finite acceptance effects
directly into the system partition function. This paper consolidates and
extends previously published results of current investigation into properties
of statistical ensembles.Comment: 53 pages, 7 figure
Energy Dependence of Multiplicity Fluctuations in Heavy Ion Collisions at the CERN SPS
Multiplicity fluctuations of positively, negatively and all charged hadrons
in the forward hemisphere were studied in central Pb+Pb collisions at 20A, 30A,
40A, 80A and 158A GeV. The multiplicity distributions and their scaled
variances are presented in dependence of collision energy as well as of
rapidity and transverse momentum. The distributions have bell-like shape and
their scaled variances are in the range from 0.8 to 1.2 without any significant
structure in their energy dependence. No indication of the critical point in
fluctuations are observed. The string-hadronic model UrQMD significantly
overpredicts the mean, but approximately reproduces the scaled variance of the
multiplicity distributions. The predictions of the statistical hadron-resonance
gas model obtained within the grand-canonical and canonical ensembles disagree
with the measured scaled variances. The narrower than Poissonian multiplicity
fluctuations measured in numerous cases may be explained by the impact of
conservation laws on fluctuations in relativistic systems.Comment: 26 pages, 34 figures, updated version including referee comment
System-size and centrality dependence of charged kaon and pion production in nucleus-nucleus collisions at 40A GeV and158A GeV beam energy
Measurements of charged pion and kaon production are presented in centrality
selected Pb+Pb collisions at 40A GeV and 158A GeV beam energy as well as in
semi-central C+C and Si+Si interactions at 40A GeV. Transverse mass spectra,
rapidity spectra and total yields are determined as a function of centrality.
The system-size and centrality dependence of relative strangeness production in
nucleus-nucleus collisions at 40A GeV and 158A GeV beam energy are derived from
the data presented here and published data for C+C and Si+Si collisions at 158A
GeV beam energy. At both energies a steep increase with centrality is observed
for small systems followed by a weak rise or even saturation for higher
centralities. This behavior is compared to calculations using transport models
(UrQMD and HSD), a percolation model and the core-corona approach.Comment: 32 pages, 14 figures, 4 tables, typo table II correcte
Search for the QCD critical point in nuclear collisions at the CERN SPS
Pion production in nuclear collisions at the SPS is investigated with the aim
to search, in a restricted domain of the phase diagram, for power-laws in the
behavior of correlations which are compatible with critical QCD. We have
analyzed interactions of nuclei of different size (p+p, C+C, Si+Si, Pb+Pb) at
158 GeV adopting, as appropriate observables, scaled factorial moments in a
search for intermittent fluctuations in transverse dimensions. The analysis is
performed for pairs with invariant mass very close to the two-pion
threshold. In this sector one may capture critical fluctuations of the sigma
component in a hadronic medium, even if the -meson has no well defined
vacuum state. It turns out that for the Pb+Pb system the proposed analysis
technique cannot be applied without entering the invariant mass region with
strong Coulomb correlations. As a result the treatment becomes inconclusive in
this case. Our results for the other systems indicate the presence of power-law
fluctuations in the freeze-out state of Si+Si approaching in size the
prediction of critical QCD.Comment: 31 pages, 11 figure
Bose-Einstein correlations of pion pairs in central Pb+Pb collisions at CERN SPS energies
Measurements of Bose-Einstein correlations of pion pairs in central Pb+Pb
collisions were performed with the NA49 detector at the CERN SPS for beam
energies of 20A, 30A, 40A, 80A, and 158A GeV. Correlation functions were
measured in the longitudinally co-moving ``out-side-long'' reference frame as a
function of rapidity and transverse momentum in the forward hemisphere of the
reaction. Radius and correlation strength parameters were obtained from fits of
a Gaussian parametrization. The results show a decrease of the radius
parameters with increasing transverse momentum characteristic of strong radial
flow in the pion source. No striking dependence on pion-pair rapidity or beam
energy is observed. Static and dynamic properties of the pion source are
obtained from simultaneous fits with a blast-wave model to radius parameters
and midrapidity transverse momentum spectra. Predictions of hydrodynamic and
microscopic models of Pb+Pb collisions are discussed.Comment: 22 pages, 23 figure
High p_T Spectra of Identified Particles Produced in Pb+Pb Collisions at 158A GeV Beam Energy
Results of the NA49 collaboration on the production of hadrons with large
transverse momentum in Pb+Pb collisions at 158A GeV beam energy are presented.
A range up to p_T = 4 GeV/c is covered. The nuclear modification factor R_CP is
extracted for pions, kaons and protons, and the baryon to meson ratios p/pi+,
pbar/pi- and Lambda/K^0_s are studied. All results are compared to other
measurements at SPS and RHIC and to theoretical calculations.Comment: Submitted to J. Phys. G (Proceedings of the 9th International
Conference on Strangeness in Quark Matter, Los Angeles, USA, March 26-31,
2006). 5 pages, 3 figure
Strangeness production at SPS energies
We present a summary of measurements of strange particles performed by the
experiment NA49 in central and minimum bias Pb+Pb collisions in the beam energy
range 20A - 158A GeV. New results on Xi production in central Pb+Pb collisions
and on Lambda, Xi production in minimum bias collisions are shown. Transverse
mass spectra and rapidity distributions of strange particles at different
energies are compared. The energy dependence of the particle yields and ratios
is discussed. NA49 measurements of the Lambda and Xi enhancement factors are
shown for the first time.Comment: Submitted to J. Phys. G (Proceedings of the 9th International
Conference on Strangeness in Quark Matter, Los Angeles, USA, March 26-31,
2006). 9 pages, 9 figure
Energy dependence of multiplicity fluctuations in heavy ion collisions
The energy dependence of multiplicity fluctuations was studied for the most central Pb+Pb collisions at 20A, 30A, 40A, 80A and 158A GeV by the NA49 experiment at the CERN SPS. The multiplicity distribution for negatively and positively charged hadrons is significantly narrower than Poisson one for all energies. No significant structure in energy dependence of the scaled variance of multiplicity fluctuations is observed. The measured scaled variance is lower than the one predicted by the grand-canonical formulation of the hadron-resonance gas model. The results for scaled variance are in approximate agreement with the string-hadronic model UrQMD
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