Search

Charmed hadron observables from the RHIC to LHC energies have been very successfully described with the recently advanced EPOS4HQ event generator. Here we extend this investigation to the production of beauty hadrons in proton-proton (pp) and heavy ion (HI) collisions

The formation of weakly bound clusters in the hot and dense environment at midrapidity is one of the surprising phenomena observed experimentally in heavy-ion collisions from a low center of mass energy of a few GeV up to a ultra-relativistic energy of several TeV. Three approaches have been advanced to describe the cluster formation: coalescence at kinetic freeze-out, cluster formation during the entire heavy-ion collision by potential interaction between nucleons and deuteron production by hadronic reactions. We identify experimental observables, which can discriminate these production mechanisms for deuterons., Comment: typos corrected, updated plots

We present the novel microscopic n-body dynamical transport approach PHQMD(Parton-Hadron-Quantum-Molecular-Dynamics) for the description of particle production and cluster formation in heavy-ion reactions at relativistic energies. The PHQMD extends the established PHSD (Parton-Hadron-String-Dynamics) transport approach by replacing the mean field by density dependent two body interactions in a similar way as in the Quantum Molecular Dynamics (QMD) models. This allows for the calculation of the time evolution of the n-body Wigner density and therefore for a dynamical description of clusters and hypernuclei formation. The clusters are identified with the MST ('Minimum Spanning Tree') or the SACA ('Simulated Annealing Cluster Algorithm') algorithm which - by regrouping the nucleons in single nucleons and noninteracting clusters - finds the most bound configuration of nucleons and clusters. The selected results on clusters and hypernuclei production from Ref. arXiv:1907.03860 are discussed in this contribution., Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures. Contribution to the Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on 'Strangeness in Quark Matter' (SQM-2019), Bari, Italy, 10-15 June, 2019

Modeling of the process of the formation of nuclear clusters in the hot nuclear matter is a challenging task. We present the novel n-body dynamical transport approach - PHQMD (Parton-Hadron-Quantum-Molecular Dynamics) [1] for the description of heavy-ion collisions as well as clusters and hpernuclei formation. The PHQMD extends well established PHSD (Parton-Hadron-String Dynamics) approach - which incorporates explicit partonic degrees-of-freedom (quarks and gluons), an equation-of-state from lattice QCD, as well as dynamical hadronization and hadronic elastic and inelastic collisions in the final reaction phase, by n-body quantum molecular dynamic propagation of hadrons which allows choosing of the equation of state with different compression modulus. The formation of clusters, including hypernuclei, is realized by incorporation the Simulated Annealing Clusterization Algorithm (SACA). We present first results from PHQMD on the study of the production rates of strange hadrons, nuclear clusters and hypernuclei in e1elementary and heavy-ion collisions at NICA energies. In particular, sensitivity on the "hard" and "soft" equation of state within the PHQMD model was investigated for "bulk" observables., Comment: Accepted for publication in the "Bulletin of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Physics"

Cluster and hypernuclei production in heavy-ion collisions is presently under active experimental and theoretical investigation. Since clusters are weekly bound objects, their production is very sensitive to the dynamical evolution of the system and its interactions. The theoretical description of cluster formation is related to the n-body problem. Here we present the novel n-body dynamical transport approach PHQMD (Parton-Hadron-Quantum-Molecular Dynamics) which is designed to provide a microscopic description of nuclear cluster and hypernucleus formation as well as of general particle production in heavy-ion reactions at relativistic energies. In difference to the coalescence or statistical models, often used for the cluster formation, in PHQMD clusters are formed dynamically due to the interactions between baryons described on a basis of Quantum Molecular Dynamics (QMD)which allows to propagate the n-body Wigner density and n-body correlations in phase-space, essential for the cluster formation. The clusters are identified by the MST (Minimum Spanning Tree) or the SACA ('Simulated Annealing Cluster Algorithm') algorithm which finds the most bound configuration of nucleons and clusters. Collisions among hadrons as well as Quark-Gluon-Plasma formation and parton dynamics in PHQMD are treated in the same way as in the established PHSD (Parton-Hadron-String Dynamics)transport approach. In order to verify our approach with respect to the general dynamics we present here the first PHQMD results for general 'bulk' observables such as rapidity distributions and transverse mass spectra for hadrons ($\pi, K, \bar K, p, \bar p, \Lambda, \bar \Lambda$) from SIS to RHIC energies. We find a good description of the 'bulk' dynamics which allows us to proceed with the results on cluster production, including hypernuclei., Comment: 28 pages, 29 figures; extended version to be published in Phys. Rev. C

We present a new approach to identify fragments in computer simulations of relativistic heavy ion collisions. It is based on the simulated annealing technique and can be applied to n-body transport models like the Quantum Molecular Dynamics. This new approach is able to predict isotope yields as well as hyper-nucleus production. In order to illustrate its predicting power, we confront this new method with experimental data and show the sensitivity on the parameters which govern the cluster formation., Comment: 14 pages, 14 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. C

The future opportunities for high-density QCD studies with ion and proton beams at the LHC are presented. Four major scientific goals are identified: the characterisation of the macroscopic long wavelength Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP) properties with unprecedented precision, the investigation of the microscopic parton dynamics underlying QGP properties, the development of a unified picture of particle production and QCD dynamics from small (pp) to large (nucleus--nucleus) systems, the exploration of parton densities in nuclei in a broad ($x$, $Q^2$) kinematic range and the search for the possible onset of parton saturation. In order to address these scientific goals, high-luminosity Pb-Pb and p-Pb programmes are considered as priorities for Runs 3 and 4, complemented by high-multiplicity studies in pp collisions and a short run with oxygen ions. High-luminosity runs with intermediate-mass nuclei, for example Ar or Kr, are considered as an appealing case for extending the heavy-ion programme at the LHC beyond Run 4. The potential of the High-Energy LHC to probe QCD matter with newly-available observables, at twice larger center-of-mass energies than the LHC, is investigated., Comment: 209 pages; Report from Working Group 5 of the Workshop on the Physics of the CERN HL-LHC, and Perspectives at the HE-LHC (v2: Minor updates to text and figures. Added one author.)

We use the Isospin Quantum Molecular Dynamics model (IQMD) to analyze the centrality dependence of the isospin ratio of pions, $\pi^-/\pi^+$. We find that the density dependence of the asymmetry potential, the Pauli blocking of the $\Delta$-decay and the thickness of the neutron skin influence in different ways this observable. Using the centrality dependence of this ratio at different beam energies we can disentangle the different contributions and open the way for their experimental determination.

We pursue the study of event by event correlations between low-mass particles and heavy mesons flow harmonics in ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions and clarify some ambiguities found in one of our previous work., Comment: SQM 2017 proceedings

The influence of final-state radiation (FSR) of heavy quarks on observables in high-energy proton-proton collisions is studied. The transverse momentum correlation of D and Dbar mesons, which have been emitted with an azimuthal difference angle close to 180 degrees, is identified as an observable which is sensitive to the FSR process. We demonstrate this by performing calculations with the EPOS3+HQ model and with the event generator Pythia 6. The initial symmetric pT = pT' correlation for back-to-back pairs does not completely vanish in EPOS3+HQ, neither for the final DDbar pairs nor for the ccbar pairs before hadronisation. Also a significant difference in the shape of the correlation distribution for EPOS3+HQ and Pythia 6 is observed. Therefore, particle correlations in pp data offer the possibility to study several aspects of energy loss in heavy-ion collisions., Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Eur. Phys. J. C, references added

The hadronic phase in ultrarelativistic nuclear collisions has a large influence on final state observables like multiplicity, flow and $p_t$ spectra, as studied in the UrQMD approach. In this model one assumes that a non-equilibrium decoupling phase follows a fluid dynamical description of the high density phase. Hadrons are produced assuming local thermal equilibrium and dynamically decouple during the hadronic rescattering until the particles are registered in the detectors. This rescattering of hadrons modifies every hadronic bulk observable. The apparent multiplicity of resonances is suppressed as compared to a chemical equilibrium freeze-out model, because the decay products rescatter. Therefore the resonances, which decay in the early hadronic phase, cannot be identified anymore by the invariant mass method. Stable and unstable particles change their momentum distribution by more than 30$\%$ through rescattering and their multiplicity is modified by resonance production and annihilation on a similar magnitude. These findings show that it is all but trivial to conclude from the final state observables on the properties of the system at an earlier time where it may have been in local equilibrium., Comment: 10 pages 17 figures, version accepted by PRC

Open and hidden heavy-flavor physics in high-energy nuclear collisions are entering a new and exciting stage towards reaching a clearer understanding of the new experimental results with the possibility to link them directly to the advancement in lattice Quantum Chromo-dynamics (QCD). Recent results from experiments and theoretical developments regarding open and hidden heavy-flavor dynamics have been debated at the Lorentz Workshop "Tomography of the quark-gluon plasma with heavy quarks}, which was held in October 2016 in Leiden, the Netherlands. In this contribution, we summarize identified common understandings and developed strategies for the upcoming five years, which aim at achieving a profound knowledge of the dynamical properties of the quark-gluon plasma., Comment: 18 pages, 4 figures, Lorentz workshop document, submitted to EPJ A

Recently it has been discovered that the elliptic flow, v2, of composite charged particles emitted at midrapidity in Heavy-Ion collisions at intermediate energies shows the strongest sensitivity to the Nuclear Equation of State (EoS) which has been observed up to now within a microscopic model. This dependence on the nuclear EoS is predicted by Quantum Molecular Dynamics (QMD) calculations [1] which show as well that the absorption or rescattering of in-plane emitted particles by the spectator matter is not the main reason for the EoS dependence of the elliptic flow at mid-rapidity but different density gradients (and therefore different forces) in the direction of the impact parameter (x-direction) as compared to the direction perpendicular to the reaction plan (y-direction), caused by the presence of the spectator matter. The stronger density gradient in y-direction accelerates the particles more and creates therefore a negative v2. When using a soft momentum dependent EoS, the QMD calculations reproduce the experimental results., Comment: text substantially revised, most figures exchanged, PRC in print

We study the correlation between the distributions of the net-charge, net-kaon, net-baryon and net-proton number at hadronization and after the final hadronic decoupling by simulating ultra relativistic heavy ion collisions with the hybrid version of the ultrarelativistic quantum molecular dynamics (UrQMD) model. We find that due to the hadronic rescattering these distributions are not strongly correlated. The calculated change of the correlation, during the hadronic expansion stage, does not support the recent paradigm, namely that the measured final moments of the experimentally observed distributions do give directly the values of those distributions at earlier times, when the system had been closer to the QCD crossover., Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, version accepted by PLB

Heavy quarks (charm and bottoms) are one of the few probes which are sensitive to the degrees of freedom of a Quark Gluon Plasma (QGP), which cannot be revealed by lattice gauge calculations in equilibrium. Due to the rapid expansion of the QGP energetic heavy quarks do not come to an equilibrium with the QGP. Their energy loss during the propagation through the QGP medium depends strongly on the modelling of the interaction of the heavy quarks with the QGP quarks and gluons, i.e. on the assuption of the degrees of freedom of the plasma. Here we compare the results of different models, the pQCD based Monte-Carlo (MC@sHQ), the Dynamical Quasi Particle Model (DQPM) and the effective mass approach, for the drag force in a thermalized QGP and discuss the sensitivity of heavy quark energy loss on the properties of the QGP as well as on non-equilibrium dynamics, Comment: proceedings symposion "New Horizons" Makutsi, South Africa, Nov 2015

Starting from the (Polyakov-) Nambu-Jona-Lasinio Lagrangian, (P)NJL, we formulate a transport theory which allows for describing the expansion of a quark-antiquark plasma and the subsequent transition to the hadronic world --without adding any new parameter to the standard (P)NJL approach, whose parameters are fixed to vacuum physics. This transport theory can be used to describe ultrarelativistic heavy-ion reaction data as well as to study the (first-order) phase transition during the expansion of the plasma. (P)NJL predicts such a phase transition for finite chemical potentials. In this contribution we give an outline of the necessary steps to obtain such a transport theory and present first results., Comment: SQM 2015 proceedings, 12 pages, 12 figures

We present a new algorithm to identify fragments in computer simulations of relativistic heavy ion collisions. It is based on the simulated annealing technique and can be applied to n-body transport models like the Quantum Molecular Dynamics. This new approach is able to predict isotope yields as well as hyper-nucleus production. In order to illustrate its predicting power, we confront this new method to experimental data, and show the sensitivity on the parameters which govern the cluster formation.

The heavy quark collisional scattering on partons of the quark gluon plasma (QGP) is studied in a QCD medium at finite temperature and chemical potential. We evaluate the effects of finite parton masses and widths, finite temperature $T$ and quark chemical potential $\mu_q$ on the different elastic cross sections for dynamical quasi-particles (on- and off-shell particles in the QGP medium as described by the dynamical quasi-particles model "DQPM") using the leading order Born diagrams. Our results show clearly the decrease of the $qQ$ and $gQ$ total elastic cross sections when the temperature and the quark chemical potential increase. These effects are amplified for finite $\mu_q$ at temperatures lower than the corresponding critical temperature $T_c (\mu_q)$. Using these cross sections we, furthermore, estimate the energy loss and longitudinal and transverse momentum transfers of a heavy quark propagating in a finite temperature and chemical potential medium. Accordingly, we have shown that the transport properties of heavy quarks are sensitive to the temperature and chemical potential variations. Our results provide some basic ingredients for the study of charm physics in heavy-ion collisions at Beam Energy Scan (BES) at RHIC and CBM experiment at FAIR., Comment: 19 pages, 28 figures

Using FOPI data on elliptic flow in Au+Au collisions between 0.4 and 1.5A GeV we extract constraints for the equation of state (EOS) of compressed symmetric nuclear matter using the transport code IQMD by introducing an observable describing the evolution of the size of the elliptic flow as a function of rapidity. This observable is sensitive to the nuclear EOS and a robust tool to constrain the compressibility of nuclear matter up to 2 $\rho_0$.

The interactions of heavy quarks with the partonic environment at finite temperature $T$ and finite quark chemical potential $\mu_q$ are investigated in terms of transport coefficients within the Dynamical Quasi-Particle model (DQPM) designed to reproduce the lattice-QCD results (including the partonic equation of state) in thermodynamic equilibrium. These results are confronted with those of nuclear many-body calculations close to the critical temperature $T_c$. The hadronic and partonic spatial diffusion coefficients join smoothly and show a pronounced minimum around $T_c$, at $\mu_q=0$ as well as at finite $\mu_q$. Close and above $T_c$ its absolute value matches the lQCD calculations for $\mu_q=0$. The smooth transition of the heavy quark transport coefficients from the hadronic to the partonic medium corresponds to a cross over in line with lattice calculations, and differs substantially from perturbative QCD (pQCD) calculations which show a large discontinuity at $T_c$. This indicates that in the vicinity of $T_c$ dynamically dressed massive partons and not massless pQCD partons are the effective degrees-of-freedom in the quark-gluon plasma., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures

The centrality dependence of spectra of identified particles in collisions between ultrarelativistic heavy ions with a center of mass energy ($\sqrt{s}$) of 39 and 11.5 $AGeV$ is analyzed in the core - corona model. We show that at these energies the spectra can be well understood assuming that they are composed of two components whose relative fraction depends on the centrality of the interaction: The core component which describes an equilibrated quark gluon plasma and the corona component which is caused by nucleons close to the surface of the interaction zone which scatter only once and which is identical to that observed in proton-proton collisions. The success of this approach at 39 and 11.5 $AGeV$ shows that the physics does not change between this energy and $\sqrt{s}=200~ AGeV$ for which this model has been developed (Aichelin 2008). This presents circumstantial evidence that a quark gluon plasma is also created at center of mass energies as low as 11.5 $AGeV$., Comment: Proceedings of STARS2013 4-10 May 2013 Havana/Varadero - CUBA

Within the aim of a dynamical study of on- and off-shell heavy quarks Q in the quark gluon plasma (QGP) - as produced in relativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions - we study the heavy quark collisional scattering on partons of the QGP. The elastic cross sections $\sigma_{q,g-Q}$ are evaluated for perturbative partons (massless on-shell particles) and for dynamical quasi-particles (massive off-shell particles as described by the dynamical quasi-particles model "DQPM") using the leading order Born diagrams. We demonstrate that the finite width of the quasi-particles in the DQPM has little influence on the cross sections $\sigma_{q,g-Q}$ except close to thresholds. We, furthermore, calculate the heavy quark relaxation time as a function of temperature T within the different approaches using these cross sections., Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, International Conference on Strangeness in Quark Matter 2013 (SQM 2013)

We study the heavy quark scattering on partons of the quark gluon plasma (QGP) being especially interested in the collisional (elastic) scattering processes of heavy quarks on quarks and gluons. We calculate the different cross sections for perturbative partons (massless on-shell particles in the vacuum) and for dynamical quasi-particles (off-shell particles in the QGP medium as described by the dynamical quasi-particles model "DQPM") using the leading order Born diagrams. Our results show clearly the effect of a finite parton mass and width on the perturbative elastic $(q(g) Q \rightarrow q (g) Q)$ cross sections which depend on temperature $T$, energy density $\epsilon$, the invariant energy $\sqrt{s}$ and the scattering angle $\theta$. Our detailed comparisons demonstrate that the finite width of the quasi-particles in the DQPM - which encodes the multiple partonic scattering - has little influence on the cross section for $q Q \rightarrow q Q$ as well as $g Q \rightarrow g Q$ scattering except close to thresholds. Thus when studying the dynamics of energetic heavy quarks in a QGP medium the spectral width of the degrees-of-freedom may be discarded. We have, furthermore, compared the cross sections from the DQPM with corresponding results from hard-thermal-loop (HTL) approaches. The HTL inspired models - essentially fixing the regulators by elementary vacuum cross sections and decay amplitudes instead of properties of the QGP at finite temperature - provide quite different results especially w.r.t. the temperature dependence of the $qQ$ and $gQ$ cross sections (in all settings). Accordingly, the transport properties of heavy quarks will be very different as a function of temperature when compared to DQPM results., Comment: 28 pages, 32 figures

In this conference contribution, we discuss the influence of gluon-bremsstrahlung damping in hot, absorptive QCD matter on the heavy-quark radiation spectra. Within our Monte-Carlo implementation for the description of the heavy-quark in-medium propagation we demonstrate that as a consequence of gluon damping the quenching of heavy quarks becomes significantly affected at higher transverse momenta., Comment: Proceedings for Heavy Ion Collisions in the LHC Era, Vietnam Conference: C12-07-15

We study the dilepton production in heavy-ion collisions at energies of 1-2 AGeV as well as in proton induced pp, pn, pd and p+A reactions from 1 GeV up to 3.5 GeV. For the analysis we employ three different transport models - the microscopic off-shell Hadron-String-Dynamics (HSD) transport approach, the Isospin Quantum Molecular Dynamics (IQMD) approach as well as the Ultra-relativistic Quantum Molecular Dynamics (UrQMD) approach. We confirm the experimentally observed enhancement of the dilepton yield (normalized to the multiplicity of neutral pions $N_{\pi^0}$) in heavy-ion collisions with respect to that measured in $NN = (pp+pn)/2$ collisions. We identify two contributions to this enhancement: a) the $pN$ bremsstrahlung which scales with the number of collisions and not with the number of participants, i.e. pions; b) the dilepton emission from intermediate $\Delta$'s which are part of the reaction cycles $\Delta \to \pi N ; \pi N \to \Delta$ and $NN\to N\Delta; N\Delta \to NN$. With increasing system size more generations of intermediate $\Delta$'s are created. If such $\Delta$ decays into a pion, the pion can be reabsorbed, however, if it decays into a dilepton, the dilepton escapes from the system. Thus, experimentally one observes only one pion (from the last produced $\Delta$) whereas the dilepton yield accumulates the contributions from all $\Delta$'s of the cycle. We show as well that the Fermi motion enhances the production of pions and dileptons in the same way. Furthermore, employing the off-shell HSD approach, we explore the influence of in-medium effects like the modification of self-energies and spectral functions of the vector mesons due to their interactions with the hadronic environment., Comment: 46 pages, 48 figures, version to be published in Phys. Rev. C

We determine the energy loss spectrum per time-interval of a relativistic charge traversing a dispersive medium. Polarization and absorption effects in the medium are modelled via a complex index of refraction. We find that the spectrum amplitude becomes exponentially damped due to absorption mechanisms. Taking explicitly the effect of multiple scatterings on the charge trajectory into account, we confirm results obtained in a previous work., Comment: 4 pages, Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Hard and Electromagnetic Probes of High-Energy Nuclear Collisions (Hard Probes 2012), 27 May - 1 June 2012, Cagliari, Italy

We study e^+e^- pair production in proton-proton and central Pb+Pb collisions at sqrt(s_NN)=2.76 TeV within two models: an extended statistical hadronization model (SHM) and the Parton-Hadron-String Dynamics (PHSD) transport approach. We find that the PHSD calculations roughly agree with the dilepton spectrum from hadronic sources with the 'cocktail' estimates from the statistical hadronization model matched to available data at LHC energies. The dynamical simulations within the PHSD show a moderate increase of the low mass dilepton yield essentially due to the in-medium modification of the rho-meson. Furthermore, pronounced traces of the partonic degrees of freedom are found in the PHSD results in the intermediate mass regime. The dilepton production from the strongly interacting quark-gluon plasma (sQGP) exceeds that from the semi-leptonic decays of open charm and bottom mesons. Additionally, we observe that a transverse momentum cut of 1 GeV/c further suppresses the relative contribution of the heavy meson decays to the dilepton yield, such that the sQGP radiation strongly dominates the spectrum for masses from 1 to 3 GeV, allowing a closer look at the electromagnetic emissivity of the partonic plasma in the early phase of Pb+Pb collisions., Comment: 16 pages, 10 figures

We extend our recently advanced model on collisional energy loss of heavy quarks in a quark gluon plasma (QGP) by including radiative energy loss. We discuss the approach and present calculations for PbPb collisions at $\sqrt{s}=2.76 TeV$. The transverse momentum spectra, RAA, and the elliptic flow $v_2$ of heavy quarks have been obtained using the model of Kolb and Heinz for the hydrodynamical expansion of the plasma., Comment: invited talk at the Strange Quark Matter conference in Krakow 18-24. September 2011

Based on results obtained with event generators we have launched the core-corona model. It describes in a simplified way but quite successfully the centrality dependence of multiplicity and $$ of identified particles observed in heavy-ion reaction at beam energies between $\sqrt{s}$ = 17 GeV and 200 GeV. Also the centrality dependence of the elliptic flow, $v_2$, for all charged and identified particles could be explained in this model. Here we extend this analysis and study the centrality dependence of single particle spectra of $K^-$ and ${\bar p}$ measured by the PHENIX, STAR and BRAHMS collaborations. We find that also for these particles the analysis of the spectra in the core-corona model suffers from differences in the data published by the different experimental groups, notably for the pp collisions. As for protons and $K^+$ for each experience the data agree well with the prediction of the core-corona model but the value of the two necessary parameters depends on the experiments. We show as well that the average momentum as a function of the centrality depends in a very sensitive way on the particle species and may be quite different for particles which have about the same mass. Therefore the idea to interpret this centrality dependence as a consequence of a collective expansion of the system, as done in blast way fits may be premature., Comment: Invited talk to the CPOD conference Dubna August 2010

We study the sensitivity of the collective transverse in-plane flow to the symmetry energy and its density dependence at Fermi energies and higher incident energies. We find that collective transverse in-plane flow is sensitive to the symmetry energy and its density dependence at Fermi energies whereas it shows insensitivity at higher incident energies., Comment: This paper has been withdrawn as the full paper is under review

We study the sensitivity of transverse flow towards symmetry energy in the Fermi energy region as well as at high energies. We find that transverse flow is sensitive to symmetry energy as well as its density dependence in the Fermi energy region. We also show that the transverse flow can address the symmetry energy at densities about twice the saturation density, however it shows the insensitivity towards the symmetry energy at densities $\rho/\rho_{0}$ $>$ 2. The mechanism for the sensitivity of transverse flow towards symmetry energy as well as its density dependence is also discussed., Comment: Phys. Rev. C (in press)2011 14 pages, 6 figures

Comparing K+ spectra at low transverse momenta for different symmetric collision systems at beam energies around 1 AGeV allows for a direct determination of both the strength of the K+ nucleus potential as well as of the K+N rescattering cross section in a hadronic environment. Other little known or unknown quantities which enter the K+ dynamics, like the production cross sections of K+ mesons or the hadronic equation of state, do not spoil this signal as they cancel by using ratios of spectra. This procedure is based on transport model calculations using the Isospin Quantum Molecular Dynamics (IQMD) model which describes the available data quantitatively., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures

The core-corona model describes quite successfully the centrality dependence of multiplicity and $$ of identified particles observed in heavy ion reaction at beam energies between $\sqrt{s}$ = 17 GeV and 200 GeV. Also the centrality dependence of the elliptic flow, $v_2$, for all charged and identified particles could be explained in this model. Here we extend this analysis and study the centrality dependence of single particle spectra of identified particles. We concentrate here on protons, antiprotons, kaons and pions which have all been measured by the PHENIX, STAR and BRAHMS collaborations. We find that an analysis of the spectra in the core-corona model suffers from differences in the data published by the different experimental groups, notably for the pp collisions. For each experience the data agree well with the prediction of the core-corona model but the value of the two necessary parameters depends onthe experiments., Comment: Proceedings to the Workshop on Dense Matter - DM 2010, Stellenbosch (South Africa), April 2010

We study the effect of isospin degree of freedom on the balance energy (E$_{bal}$) as well as its mass dependence throughout the mass range 48-270 for two sets of isobaric systems with N/Z = 1 and 1.4 at different colliding geometries ranging from central to peripheral ones. Our findings reveal the dominance of Coulomb repulsion in isospin effects on E$_{bal}$ as well as its mass dependence throughout the range of the colliding geometry. Our results also indicate that the effect of symmetry energy and nucleon-nucleon cross section on E$_{bal}$ is uniform throughout the mass range and throughout the colliding geometry. We also present the counter balancing of nucleon-nucleon collisions and mean field by reducing the Coulomb and the counter balancing of Coulomb and mean filed by removing the nucleon-nucleon collisions., Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures

Using the Isospin Quantum Molecular Dynamics (IQMD) model we analyzed the production of pions and kaons in the energy range of 1-2 AGeV in order to study the question why thermal models could achieve a successful description. For this purpose we study the variation of pion and kaon yields using different elementary cross sections. We show that several ratios appear to be rather robust versus their variations., Comment: proceedings to the Workshop on Dense Matter - DM 2010, Stellenbosch (South Africa), April 2010

Using the isospin-dependent quantum molecular dynamics model we study the isospin effects on the disappearance of flow for the reactions of 58Ni+58Ni and 58Fe+58Fe as a function of impact parameter. We found good agreement between our calculations and experimentally measured energy of vanishing flow at all colliding geometries. Our calculations reproduce the experimental data within 5%(10%) at central (peripheral) colliding geometries., Comment: Proceedings of the International Symposium on Nuclear Physics, Mumbai (INDIA), Vol. 54 Pg. 454, 2009

Event by event EPOS calculations in which the expansion of the system is described by {\it ideal} hydrodynamics reproduce well the measured centrality dependence of $v_2/\epsilon_{part}$, although it has been claimed that only viscous hydrodynamics can reproduce these data. This is due to the core - corona effect which manifests itself in the initial condition of the hydrodynamical expansion. The centrality dependence of $v_2/\epsilon_{part}$ can be understood in the recently advanced core-corona model, a simple parameter free EPOS inspired model to describe the centrality dependence of different observables from SPS to RHIC energies. This model has already been successfully applied to understand the centrality dependence of multiplicities and of the average transverse momentum of identified particles.

Using the isospin-dependent quantum molecular dynamics model we study the isospin effects on the disappearance of flow for the reactions of $^{58}Ni$ + $^{58}Ni$ and $^{58}Fe$ +$^{58}Fe$ as a function of impact parameter. We found good agreement between our calculations and experimentally measured energy of vanishing flow at all colliding geometries. Our calculations reproduce the experimental data within 5%(10%) at central (peripheral) geometries.

We extend our recently advanced model on collisional energy loss of heavy quarks in a quark gluon plasma (QGP) by including radiative energy loss. We discuss the approach and present first preliminary results. We show that present data on nuclear modification factor of non photonic single electrons hardly permit to distinguish between those 2 energy loss mechanisms., Comment: 8 pages, extended to 11 pages for v2; accepted for publication in Journal of Physics G

Recently we have shown that the centrality dependence of the multiplicity of different hadron species observed in RHIC and SPS experiments can be well understood in a simple model, dubbed core-corona model. There it is assumed that those incoming nucleons which scatter only once produce hadrons as in pp collisions whereas those which scatter more often form an equilibrated source which decays according to phase space. In this article we show that also kinematical variables like $v_2/\epsilon_{part} (N_{part})$ as well as $v_2^i/\epsilon_{part} (N_{part})$ and $$ of identified particles are well described in this model. The correlation of $$ between peripheral heavy ion collisions and pp collisions for different hadrons, reproduced in this model, questions whether hydrodynamical calculations are the proper tool to describe non-central heavy ion collision. The model explains as well the centrality dependence of $v_2/\epsilon_{part}$ of charged particles, considered up to now as an observable which allows to determine the viscosity of the quark gluon plasma. The observed dependence of $v_2^i/\epsilon_{part}(N_{part})$ on the particle species is a simple consequence of the different ratios of core to corona particles., Comment: Figure added, text partially rewritten, interpretation of v2 of identified particles

We here study fragmentation using \emph{simulated annealing clusterization algorithm} (SACA) with binding energy at a microscopic level. In an earlier version, a constant binding energy (4 MeV/nucleon) was used. We improve this binding energy criterion by calculating the binding energy of different clusters using modified Bethe-Weizs\"{a}cker mass (BWM) formula. We also compare our calculations with experimental data of ALADiN group. Nearly no effect is visible of this modification.

Recently, is has been observed that events with the {\it same} total transverse energy of light charged particles (LCP) in the quasi target region, $E_{\perp 12}^{QT}$, show two quite distinct reaction scenarios in the projectile domain: multifragmentation and residue production. This phenomenon has been dubbed "bimodality". Using Quantum Molecular Dynamics calculations we demonstrate that this observation is very general. It appears in collisions of all symmetric systems larger than Ca and at beam energies between 50 A.MeV and 600 A.MeV and is due to large fluctuations of the impact parameter for a given $E_{\perp 12}^{QT}$. Investigating in detail the $E_{\perp 12}^{QT}$ bin in which both scenarios are present, we find that neither the average fragment momenta nor the average transverse and longitudinal energies of fragments show the behavior expected from a system in statistical equilibrium, in experiment as well as in QMD simulations. On the contrary, the experimental as well as the theoretical results point towards a fast process. This observation questions the conjecture that the observed bimodality is due to the coexistence of 2 phases at a given temperature in finite systems., Comment: accepted PRC

One of the fundamental objectives of experiments with ultrarelativistic heavy ions is to explore strongly interacting matter at high density and high temperature. In this investigation we study in particular the information which can be obtained by analyzing baryonic and mesonic resonances. The decay products of these resonances carry information on the resonances properties at the space time point of their decay. We especially investigate the percentage of reconstructable resonances as a function of density for heavy ion collisions in the energy range between $E_{lab}$ = 30 AGeV and $\sqrt{s}$ = 200 AGeV, the energy domain between the future FAIR facility and the present RHIC collider., Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures

Using the recently published model \cite{Gossiaux:2008jv,goss2} for the collisional energy loss of heavy quarks in a Quark Gluon Plasma (QGP), based on perturbative QCD (pQCD), we study the centrality dependence of $R_{AA}$ and $R_{AA}(p_T^{min})$, %= \frac{dN_{AA}/dp_T}{ dN_{pp}/dp_T}$ measured by the Phenix collaboration, and compare our model with other approaches based on pQCD and on Anti de Sitter/ Conformal Field Theory (AdS/CFT), Comment: proceedings for SQM08

Using the recently published model for the collisional energy loss of heavy quarks (Q) in a Quark Gluon Plasma (QGP), based on perturbative QCD (pQCD) with a running coupling constant, we study the interaction between heavy quarks and plasma particles in detail. We discuss correlations between the simultaneously produced $c$ and $\bar{c}$ quarks, study how central collisions can be experimentally selected, predict observable correlations and extend our model to the energy domain of the large hadron collider (LHC). We finally compare the predictions of our model with that of other approaches like AdS/CFT., Comment: details about coalescence added, accepted by PRC

The present status of the efforts to determine the nuclear equation of state from results of heavy ion reactions and from astrophysical observations is reviewed

In ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions, the multiplicity of multi-strange baryons per participating nucleon increases with centrality in a different fashion for different systems and energies. At RHIC, for copper+copper (CuCu) collisions the increase is much steeper than for gold-gold (AuAu) collisions. We show that this system size dependence is due to a core-corona effect: the relative importance of the corona as compared to the core (thermalized matter) contribution varies and the contribution of a corona nucleon to the multiplicity differs from that of a core nucleon. $\phi$ mesons follow in principle the same trend, but the difference between core and corona multiplicity is relatively small, and therefore the CuCu and AuAu results are quite similar. This simple geometrical explanation makes also a strong case in favor of the validity of Glauber geometry in the peripheral regions of ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions, which is crucial for understanding the early evolution of the system., Comment: figure added, updated data and references, to be published in PRC

High transverse momentum ($p_T$) single non-photonic electrons which have been measured in the RHIC experiments come dominantly from heavy meson decay. The ratio of their $p_T$ spectra in pp and AA collisions ($R_{AA}(p_T)$) reveals the energy loss of heavy quarks in the environment created by AA collisions. Using a fixed coupling constant and the Debye mass ($m_D\approx gT$) as infrared regulator perturbative QCD (pQCD) calculations are not able to reproduce the data, neither the energy loss nor the azimuthal $(v_2)$ distribution. Employing a running coupling constant and replacing the Debye mass by a more realistic hard thermal loop (HTL) calculation we find a substantial increase of the collisional energy loss which brings the $v_2(p_T)$ distribution as well as $R_{AA}(p_T)$ to values close to the experimental ones without excluding a contribution from radiative energy loss., Comment: Accepted for publication in Physical Review C

The Isospin Quantum Molecular Dynamics model is used to compare spectra and elliptic flow of kaons produced at subthreshold energies with data taken at the SIS accelerator at GSI. We find that temperatures of the spectra are dominated by the rescattering of the kaons. The study of elliptic flow observables indicates the influence of rescattering as well as of the optical potential of the kaons with increasing dominance of the optical potential at lower incident energies., Comment: contribution to strange Quark Matter 2007, accepted for publication in J. Phys. G 6 pages, 4 figures

There is little doubt that Quantumchromodynamics (QCD) is the theory which describes strong interaction physics. Lattice gauge simulations of QCD predict that in the $\mu,T$ plane there is a line where a transition from confined hadronic matter to deconfined quarks takes place. The transition is either a cross over (at low $\mu$) or of first order (at high $\mu$). It is the goal of the present and future heavy ion experiment at RHIC and FAIR to study this phase transition at different locations in the $\mu,T$ plane and to explore the properties of the deconfined phase. It is the purpose of this contribution to discuss some of the observables which are considered as useful for this purpose., Comment: invited talk, workshop on Critical Point and Onset of Deconfinement (CPOD), GSI(Darmstadt), July 9-13, 2007