We have measured the distributions of protons and deuterons produced in high energy heavy ion Au+Au collisions at RHIC over a very wide range of transverse and longitudinal momentum. Near mid-rapidity we have also measured the distribution of anti-pr
otons and anti-deuterons. We present our results in the context of coalescence models. In particular we extract the volume of homogeneity and the average phase-space density for protons and anti-protons. Near central rapidity the coalescence parameter $B_2(p_T)$ and the space averaged phase-space density $<f> (p_T)$ are very similar for both protons and anti-protons. For protons we see little variation of either $B_2(p_T)$ or the space averaged phase-space density as the rapidity increases from 0 to 3. However both these quantities depend strongly on $p_T$ at all rapidities. These results are in contrast to lower energy data where the proton and anti-proton phase-space densities are different at $y$=0 and both $B_2$ and $f$ depend strongly on rapidity.
Two microscopic models, UrQMD and QGSM, were employed to study the formation of locally equilibrated hot and dense nuclear matter in heavy-ion collisions at energies from 11.6 AGeV to 160 AGeV. Analysis was performed for the fixed central cubic cell
of volume V = 125 fm**3 and for the expanding cell which followed the growth of the central area with uniformly distributed energy. To decide whether or not the equilibrium was reached, results of the microscopic calculations were compared to that of the statistical thermal model. Both dynamical models indicate that the state of kinetic, thermal and chemical equilibrium is nearly approached at any bombarding energy after a certain relaxation period. The higher the energy, the shorter the relaxation time. Equation of state has a simple linear dependence P = a(sqrt{s})*e, where a = c_s**2 is the sound velocity squared. It varies from 0.12 pm 0.01 at E_{lab} = 11.6 AGeV to 0.145 pm 0.005 at E_{lab} = 160 AGeV. Change of the slope in a(sqrt{s}) behavior occurs at E_{lab} = 40 AGeV and can be assigned to the transition from baryon-rich to meson-dominated matter. The phase diagrams in the T - mu_B plane show the presence of kinks along the lines of constant entropy per baryon. These kinks are linked to the inelastic (i.e. chemical) freeze-out in the system.
We calculate shadowing using new data on the gluon density of the Pomeron recently measured with high precision at HERA. The calculations are made in a Glauber-Gribov framework and Pomeron tree-diagrams are summed up within a unitarity-conserving pro
cedure. The total cross section of $vphot A$ interaction is then found in a parameter-free description, employing gluon diffractive and inclusive distribution functions as input. A strong shadowing effect is obtained, in good agreement with several other models. Impact parameter dependence of gluon shadowing is also presented.
