Title: Multiplicity scaling of light nuclei production in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

Abstract

Using the nucleon coalescence model based on kinetic freeze-out nucleons from the 3D MUSIC+UrQMD and the 2D VISHNU hybrid model with a crossover equation of state, we study the multiplicity dependence of deuteron (d) and triton (t) production from central to peripheral Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=$ 7.7, 14.5, 19.6, 27, 39, 62.4 and 200 GeV and Pb+Pb at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=2.76$ TeV, respectively. It is found that the ratio $N_t{N}_p/N_d^2$ of the proton yield $N_p$, deuteron yield $N_d$ and triton yield $N_t$ exhibits a scaling behavior in its multiplicity dependence, i.e., decreasing monotonically with increasing charged-particle multiplicity. A similar multiplicity scaling of this ratio is also found in the nucleon coalescence calculation based on kinetic freeze-out nucleons from a multiphase transport (AMPT) model. The scaling behavior of $N_t{N}_p/N_d^2$ can be naturally explained by the interplay between the sizes of light nuclei and the nucleon emission source. We further argue that the multiplicity scaling of $N_t{N}_p/N_d^2$ can be used to validate the production mechanism of light nuclei, and the collision energy dependence of this yield ratio can further serve as a baseline in the search for the QCD critical point in relativistic heavy-ion collisions.

Authors:

Zhao, Wenbin ^[1]; Sun, Kai-jia ^[2]; Ko, Che Ming  ^[2];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Ko, Che Ming"
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-1896-8787"

Luo, Xiaofeng  ^[1]

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Luo, Xiaofeng"
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-4919-303X"

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Central China Normal Univ., Wuhan (China). Key Lab. of Quark and Lepton Physics (MOE). Inst. of Particle Physics
2. Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX (United States). Cyclotron Inst. Dept. of Physics and Astronomy

Publication Date:

Sun Aug 08 00:00:00 EDT 2021

Research Org.:

Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX (United States); Univ. of California, Oakland, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE Office of Science (SC); National Key Research and Development Program of China; National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC); Welch Foundation; National Science Foundation (NSF)

OSTI Identifier:

1851986

Grant/Contract Number:  

SC0015266; AC02-05CH11231; 2020YFE0202002; 2018YFE0205201; A-1358; ACI-1550300; OAC-2004571; 11890711; 11861131009; 11935007; 11221504; 11890714

Resource Type:

Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

Physics Letters. B

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Volume: 820; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0370-2693

Publisher:

Elsevier

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS; Astronomy & Astrophysics; Physics