We propose a mechanism of thermalization of nucleons in relativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions. Our model belongs, to a certain degree, to the transport ones; we consider the evolution of the system, but we parametrize this development by the number of collisions of every particle in the system rather than by the time variable. We based on the assumption that the nucleon momentum transfer after several nucleon-nucleon (-hadron) collisions becomes a random quantity driven by a proper distribution.
The collision smearing of the nucleon momenta about their initial values during relativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions is investigated. To a certain degree, our model belongs to the transport type, and we investigate the evolution of the nucleon system created at a nucleus-nucleus collision. However, we parameterize this development by the number of collisions of every particle during evolution rather than by the time variable. It is assumed that the group of nucleons which leave the system after the same number of collisions can be joined in a particular statistical ensemble. The nucleon nonequilibrium distribution functions, which depend on a certain number of collisions of a nucleon before freeze-out, are derived.
The partition function of nonequilibrium distribution which we recently obtained [arXiv:0802.0259] in the framework of the maximum isotropization model (MIM) is exploited to extract physical information from experimental data on the proton rapidity and transverse mass distributions. We propose to partition all interacting nucleons into ensembles in accordance with the number of collisions. We analyze experimental rapidity distribution and get the number of particles in every collision ensemble. We argue that even a large number of effective nucleon collisions cannot lead to thermalization of nucleon system; the thermal source which describes the proton distribution in central rapidity region arises as a result of fast thermalization of the parton degrees of freedom. The obtained number of nucleons which corresponds to the thermal contribution is treated as a ``nucleon power of the created quark-gluon plasma in a particular experiment.
We investigate hadron production as well as transverse hadron spectra from proton-proton, proton-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus collisions from 2 $Acdot$GeV to 21.3 $Acdot$TeV within two independent transport approaches (HSD and UrQMD) that are based on quark, diquark, string and hadronic degrees of freedom. The comparison to experimental data on transverse mass spectra from $pp$, $pA$ and C+C (or Si+Si) reactions shows the reliability of the transport models for light systems. For central Au+Au (Pb+Pb) collisions at bombarding energies above $sim$ 5 A$cdot$GeV, furthermore, the measured $K^{pm}$ transverse mass spectra have a larger inverse slope parameter than expected from the default calculations. We investigate various scenarios to explore their potential effects on the $K^pm$ spectra. In particular the initial state Cronin effect is found to play a substantial role at top SPS and RHIC energies. However, the maximum in the $K^+/pi^+$ ratio at 20 to 30 A$cdot$GeV is missed by ~40% and the approximately constant slope of the $K^pm$ spectra at SPS energies is not reproduced either. Our systematic analysis suggests that the additional pressure - as expected from lattice QCD calculations at finite quark chemical potential $mu_q$ and temperature $T$- should be generated by strong interactions in the early pre-hadronic/partonic phase of central Au+Au (Pb+Pb) collisions.
We consider a possible mechanism of thermalization of nucleons in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. Our model belongs, to a certain degree, to the transport ones; we investigate the evolution of the system created in nucleus-nucleus collision, but we parametrize this development by the number of collisions of every particle during evolution rather than by the time variable. We based on the assumption that the nucleon momentum transfer after several nucleon-nucleon (-hadron) elastic and inelastic collisions becomes a random quantity driven by a proper distribution. This randomization results in a smearing of the nucleon momenta about their initial values and, as a consequence, in their partial isotropization and thermalization. The trial evaluation is made in the framework of a toy model. We show that the proposed scheme can be used for extraction of the physical information from experimental data on nucleon rapidity distribution.
The space-time structure of the multipion system created in central relativistic heavy-ion collisions is investigated. Using the microscopic transport model UrQMD we determine the freeze-out hypersurface from equation on pion density n(t,r)=n_c. It turns out that for proper value of the critical energy density epsilon_c equation epsilon(t,r)=epsilon_c gives the same freeze-out hypersurface. It is shown that for big enough collision energies E_kin > 40A GeV/c (sqrt(s) > 8A GeV/c) the multipion system at a time moment {tau} ceases to be one connected unit but splits up into two separate spatial parts (drops), which move in opposite directions from one another with velocities which approach the speed of light with increase of collision energy. This time {tau} is approximately invariant of the collision energy, and the corresponding tau=const. hypersurface can serve as a benchmark for the freeze-out time or the transition time from the hydrostage in hybrid models. The properties of this hypersurface are discussed.