Unlocking the initial neutron density distribution from the two-pion HBT correlation function in heavy-ion collisions

Abstract

Revealing the neutron density distribution in the nucleus is one of the crucial tasks of nuclear physics. Within the framework of the ultrarelativistic quantum molecular dynamic model followed by a correlation afterburner program, we investigate the effects of the initial neutron density distribution on the charged-pion yield ratio ${\pi }^{-}/{\pi }^{+}$, the two-pion momentum correlation function, and the emission source dimension. It is found that the ${\pi }^{-}/{\pi }^{+}$ ratio is sensitive to the initial neutron density distribution and the impact parameter, especially for collisions at large impact parameter. However, the charge splitting in the correlation functions between positively ${\pi }^{+}{\pi }^{+}$ and negatively ${\pi }^{-}{\pi }^{-}$, as well as the source radii and volumes extracted exhibit a stronger dependence on the initial neutron density distribution, but a weaker dependence on the impact parameter. The present study highlights that ${\pi }^{+}{\pi }^{+}$ and ${\pi }^{-}{\pi }^{-}$ correlation functions in heavy-ion collisions could be used to probe the initial neutron density distribution of nuclei.

8 pages, 8 figures

References in corpus (33)

• Relativistic Hadron-Hadron Collisions in the Ultra-Relativistic Quantum Molecular Dynamics Model (UrQMD)
• Constraints on the symmetry energy and neutron skins from experiments and theory
• Femtoscopy in Relativistic Heavy Ion Collisions: Two Decades of Progress
• Accurate Determination of the Neutron Skin Thickness of ${}^{208}$Pb through Parity-Violation in Electron Scattering
• Neutron skins and neutron stars in the multi-messenger era
• Neutron skins of atomic nuclei: per aspera ad astra
• Observation of the critical end point in the phase diagram for hot and dense nuclear matter
• Imaging Shapes of Atomic Nuclei in High-Energy Nuclear Collisions
• Determination of the neutron skin of ${}^{208}$Pb from ultrarelativistic nuclear collisions
• Determine the neutron skin type by relativistic isobaric collisions
• Azimuthal Dependence of Pion Interferometry at the AGS
• The effect of "pre-formed" hadron potentials on the dynamics of heavy ion collisions and the HBT puzzle
• Effects of a phase transition on HBT correlations in an integrated Boltzmann+Hydrodynamics approach
• Correlations and Characterization of Emitting Sources
• Directed, elliptic and triangular flow of protons in Au+Au reactions at 1.23 AGeV: A theoretical analysis of the recent HADES data
• First, second, third and fourth flow harmonics of deuterons and protons in Au+Au reactions at 1.23 A GeV
• The high-density equation of state in heavy-ion collisions: Constraints from proton flow
• Femtoscopy in Relativistic Heavy Ion Collisions and its Relation to Bulk Properties of QCD Matter
• Influence of neutron-skin thickness on ${\pi }^{-}/{\pi }^{+}$ ratio in Pb+Pb collisions
• Neutron/proton ratio of nucleon emissions as a probe of neutron skin
• Two-proton small-angle correlations in central heavy-ion collisions: a beam-energy and system-size dependent study
• The Emission Order of Hydrogen Isotopes via Correlation Functions in 30 MeV/u Ar+Au Reactions
• Identical pion intensity interferometry at sqrt(s_{NN})=2.4 GeV
• Triton/${}^3$He ratio as an observable for neutron skin thickness
• Identical pion intensity interferometry in central Au+Au collisions at 1.23A GeV
• Transport model study of the $m_T$-scaling for $\Lambda$, K, and $\pi$ HBT-correlations
• Correlation femtoscopy study at NICA and STAR energies within a viscous hydrodynamic plus cascade model
• Light Nuclei Femtoscopy and Baryon Interactions in 3 GeV Au+Au Collisions at RHIC
• Nucleon-nucleon momentum correlation function for light nuclei
• Initialization effects of nucleon profile on the $\pi$ yields in heavy-ion collisions at medium energies
• Azimuthal-sensitive three-dimensional HBT radius in Au-Au collisions at $E_{beam}=1.23$$A$ GeV by the IQMD model
• Difficulties in probing density dependent symmetry potential with the HBT interferometry
• Neutron halo and the impact-parameter dependence of the ${\pi }^{+}-{\pi }^{-}$ asymmetry in heavy ion collisions