Light-nuclei production and search for the QCD critical point

Abstract

We discuss the potential of light-nuclei measurement in heavy-ion collisions at intermediate energies for the search of the hypothetical QCD critical end-point. A previous proposal based on neutron density fluctuations has brought appealing experimental evidences of a maximum in a ratio involving tritons, protons and deuterons, ${\mathcal{O}}_{tpd}$. However these results are difficult to reconcile with the state-of-the-art statistical thermal model predictions. Based on the idea that the QCD critical point can lead to a substantial attraction among nucleons, we propose new ratios involving ${}^4$He in which the maximum would be more evident. We argue that the experimental extraction is feasible by presenting actual measurements at low and high collision energies. We also illustrate the possible behavior of these ratios at intermediate energies applying the semiclassical method based on flucton paths using preliminary STAR data for ${\mathcal{O}}_{tpd}$.

arXiv comment7 pages, 3 figures. Typos fixed, explanations extended, figures improved, and new references added. Version published in Eur.Phys.J.A

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Cited by in corpus (14)

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• Search for the QCD Critical Point in High Energy Nuclear Collisions
• Lattice simulations of the QCD chiral transition at real baryon density
• Dynamical exploring the QCD matter at finite temperatures and densities-a short review
• Production of Protons and Light Nuclei in Au+Au Collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}$ = 3 GeV with the STAR Detector
• Effects of QCD critical point on light nuclei production
• Maximum latent heat of neutron star matter independently of General Relativity
• Deuteron yields from LHC: Continuum correlations and in-medium effects
• Collision centrality and system size dependences of light nuclei production via dynamical coalescence mechanism
• Coordinate versus momentum cuts and effects of collective flow on critical fluctuations
• Many-body forces and nucleon clustering near the QCD critical point
• Light-nuclei production in heavy-ion collisions within a thermodynamical approach
• Nucleon clustering at kinetic freezeout of heavy-ion collisions via path-integral Monte Carlo
• Exploring hadron-quark phase transition in heavy-ion collisions using particle emission ratios in heavy and light reaction systems