No Arabic abstract
Discriminating hadronic molecular and multi-quark states is a long standing problem in hadronic physics. We propose here to utilize relativistic heavy ion collisions to resolve this problem, as exotic hadron yields are expected to be strongly affected by their structures. Using the coalescence model, we find that the exotic hadron yield relative to the statistical model result is typically an order of magnitude smaller for a compact multi-quark state, and larger by a factor of two or more for a loosely bound hadronic molecule. We further find that some of the newly proposed heavy exotic states could be produced and realistically measured at RHIC and LHC.
Heavy ion collisions (HIC) at high energies are excellent ways for producing heavy hadrons and composite particles. With upgraded detectors at RHIC and LHC, it has become possible to measure hadrons beyond their ground states. Therefore, HIC provide a new method for studying exotic hadrons that are either hadronic molecular states or compact multiquark systems. Because their structures are related to the fundamental properties of QCD, studying exotic hadrons is currently one of the most active areas of research in hadron physics. Experiments carried out at various accelerator facilities have indicated that some exotic hadrons may have already been produced. The present review is a summary of the current understanding of a selected set of exotic particle candidates that can be potentially measured in HIC. It also includes discussions on the production of exotic hadrons in HIC based on the coalescence and statistical models. A more detailed discussion leads to the conclusion that the yield of a hadron is typically an order of magnitude smaller when it is a compact multiquark state than that of an excited hadronic state with normal quark numbers and/or a molecular configuration. Attention is also given to some of the proposed heavy exotic hadrons that could be produced with sufficient abundance in HIC because of the significant numbers of charm and bottom quarks produced at RHIC and LHC, making it possible to study them in these experiments. Further included in the discussion are the general formalism for the coalescence model that involves resonance particles and its implication on the present estimated yield for resonance production. Finally, a review is given on recent studies to constrain the hadron-hadron interaction through correlation measurements in HIC and their implications on the interpretation and the possible existence of exotic states in hadronic interactions.
Identifying hadronic molecular states and/or hadrons with multi-quark components either with or without exotic quantum numbers is a long standing challenge in hadronic physics. We suggest that studying the production of these hadrons in relativistic heavy ion collisions offer a promising resolution to this problem as yields of exotic hadrons are expected to be strongly affected by their structures. Using the coalescence model for hadron production, we find that compared to the case of a non-exotic hadron with normal quark numbers, the yield of an exotic hadron is typically an order of magnitude smaller when it is a compact multi-quark state and a factor of two or more larger when it is a loosely bound hadronic molecule. We further find that due to the appreciable numbers of charm and bottom quarks produced in heavy ion collisions at RHIC and even larger numbers expected at LHC, some of the newly proposed heavy exotic states could be produced and realistically measured in these experiments.
We investigate the two-particle intensity correlation function of $Lambda$ in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. We find that the behavior of the $LambdaLambda$ correlation function at small relative momenta is fairly sensitive to the interaction potential and collective flows. By comparing the results of different source functions and potentials, we explore the effect of intrinsic collective motions on the correlation function. We find that the recent STAR data gives a strong constraint on the scattering length and effective range of $LambdaLambda$ interaction as, $-1.8 mathrm{fm}^{-1} < 1/a_0 < -0.8 mathrm{fm}^{-1}$ and $3.5 mathrm{fm} < r_mathrm{eff} < 7 mathrm{fm}$, respectively,if $Lambda$ samples do not include feed-down contribution from long-lived particles. We find that feed-down correction for $Sigma^0$ decay reduces the sensitivity of the correlation function to the detail of the $LambdaLambda$ interaction. As a result, we obtain a weaker constraint $1/a_0 <-0.8$ fm$^{-1}$. Implication for the signal of existence of $H$-dibaryon is discussed. Comparison with the scattering parameters obtained from the double $Lambda$ hypernucleus may reveal in-medium effects in the $LambdaLambda$ interaction.
We investigate the $LambdaLambda$ and $K^-p$ intensity correlations in high-energy heavy-ion collisions. First, we examine the dependence of the $LambdaLambda$ correlation on the $LambdaLambda$ interaction and the $LambdaLambda$ pair purity probability $lambda$. For small $lambda$, the correlation function needs to be suppressed by the $LambdaLambda$ interaction in order to explain the recently measured $LambdaLambda$ correlation data. By comparison, when we adopt the $lambda$ value evaluated from the experimentally measured $Sigma^0/Lambda$ ratio, the correlation function needs to be enhanced by the interaction. We demonstrate that these two cases correspond to the two analyses which gave opposite signs of the $LambdaLambda$ scattering length. Next, we discuss the $K^-p$ correlation function. By using the local $bar{K}N$ potential which reproduces the kaonic hydrogen data by SIDDHARTA, we obtain the $K^-p$ correlation function. We find that the $K^-p$ correlation can provide a complementary information with the $K^{-}p$ elastic scattering amplitude.
We present a simple description of the energy density profile created in a nucleus-nucleus collision, motivated by high-energy QCD. The energy density is modeled as the sum of contributions coming from elementary collisions between localized charges and a smooth nucleus. Each of these interactions creates a sharply-peaked source of energy density falling off at large distances like $1/r^2$, corresponding to the two-dimensional Coulomb field of a point charge. Our model reproduces the one-point and two-point functions of the energy density field calculated in the framework of the color glass condensate effective theory, to leading logarithmic accuracy. We apply it to the description of eccentricity fluctuations. Unlike other existing models of initial conditions for heavy-ion collisions, it allows us to reproduce simultaneously the centrality dependence of elliptic and triangular flow.