Pion production and the nuclear equation of state
There has been considerable recent interest in the nuclear equation of state and how it may be determined in relativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions. In these collisions extremely high temperatures are reached and compression to densities several times that of normal nuclear matter are predicted. This affords us the unique opportunity to study, in a somewhat controlled manner, the behavior of nuclear matter under these extreme conditions. If the observables that are measured in experiments can be related in a quantitative way to state variables of the system then the equation of state can be extracted. This relation plays a very important role in understanding the formation and collapse of supernovae and the stability and structure of neutron stars. Furthermore, it can be used to test and constrain field theoretical approaches to nuclear matter and to help to better understand the dynamics of high energy nucleus-nucleus collisions. In this presentation the relationship between the nuclear equation of state and relativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions will be discussed with an emphasis on how to extract the former. That a high density state of the collision should exist will be shown. One observable, namely the pion multiplicity, will be shown to survive the succeeding stages of the collision process to provide information on the equation of state at high densities. The resulting equation of state will be presented and discussed in the light of recent theoretical development. 34 refs., 12 figs.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (USA); Gesellschaft fuer Schwerionenforschung m.b.H., Darmstadt (Germany, F.R.); Heidelberg Univ. (Germany, F.R.). Inst. fuer Hochenergiephysik; Marburg Univ. (Germany, F.R.). Fachbereich Physik; Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City. Inst. de Fisica; Texas A and M Univ., College Station (USA). Cyclotron Inst.
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-76SF00098
- OSTI ID:
- 5753799
- Report Number(s):
- LBL-19114; CONF-8410210-12; ON: DE85009941
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 7. high energy heavy ion study conference, Darmstadt, F.R. Germany, 8 Oct 1984; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Topics in Theoretical Physics
The physics and experimental program of the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC)
Related Subjects
HEAVY ION REACTIONS
PARTICLE PRODUCTION
NUCLEAR MATTER
EQUATIONS OF STATE
PIONS
COMPRESSION
DENSITY
MULTIPLICITY
PIONIZATION
RELATIVISTIC RANGE
BOSONS
CHARGED-PARTICLE REACTIONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY RANGE
EQUATIONS
HADRONS
MATTER
MESONS
MULTIPLE PRODUCTION
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PSEUDOSCALAR MESONS
653002* - Nuclear Theory- Nuclear Matter
653003 - Nuclear Theory- Nuclear Reactions & Scattering