Elliptic flow of deuterons in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

Abstract

Using a dynamical model based on the $NN \to d\pi$, $NNN \to dN$, and $NN\pi \to d\pi$ reactions and measured proton and pion transverse momentum spectra and elliptic flows, we study the production of deuterons and their elliptic flow in heavy ion collisions at RHIC. The results are compared with those from the coalescence model. The deviation of deuteron elliptic flow from the constituent nucleon number scaling expected from the coalescence model and the comparison with the experimental data are discussed in connection to the allowed nucleon phase space in these reactions.Comment: 18 pages, REVTeX, 8 figures, structure of the article was changed, to be published in Phys. Rev.