Free spectator nucleons in ultracentral relativistic heavy-ion collisions as a probe of neutron skin
Abstract
Besides the yield ratio of free spectator neutrons produced in ultracentral 96Zr + 96Zr to 96Ru + 96Ru collisions, we propose that the yield ratio Nn/Np of free spectator neutrons to protons in a single collision system at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider or the CERN Large Hadron Collider can be a more sensitive probe of the neutron-skin thickness Δrnp and the slope parameter L of the symmetry energy. Here, the idea is demonstrated based on the proton and neutron density distributions of colliding nuclei obtained from Skyrme-Hartree-Fock-Bogolyubov calculations, and on a Glauber model that provides information of spectator matter. The final spectator particles are produced from direct emission, clusterization by a minimum spanning tree algorithm or a Wigner function approach, and deexcitation of heavy clusters by gemini. A larger Δrnp associated with a larger L value increases the isospin asymmetry of spectator matter and thus leads to a larger Nn/Np, especially in ultracentral collisions where the multiplicity of free nucleons are free from the uncertainties of cluster formation and deexcitation. We have further shown that the double ratio of Nn/Np in isobaric collision systems or in collisions by isotopes helps to cancel the detecting efficiency for protons. Effectsmore »
- Authors:
-
- Univ. of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (China)
- Stony Brook Univ., NY (United States)
- Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai (China)
- Stony Brook Univ., NY (United States); Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- Univ. of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (China); Inst. of High Energy Physics, Beijing (China); Hunan Normal Univ., Changsha (China)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Nuclear Physics (NP); National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1897507
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-223677-2022-JAAM
Journal ID: ISSN 2469-9985; TRN: US2310805
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC0012704; 11922514; FG02-87ER40331; 11875052; 11575190; 11135011
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Physical Review. C
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 106; Journal Issue: 3; Journal ID: ISSN 2469-9985
- Publisher:
- American Physical Society (APS)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS; Nuclear density functional theory; Nucleon distribution; Relativistic heavy-ion collisions; Symmetry energy
Citation Formats
Liu, Lu-Meng, Zhang, Chun-Jian, Xu, Jun, Jia, Jiangyong, and Peng, Guang-Xiong. Free spectator nucleons in ultracentral relativistic heavy-ion collisions as a probe of neutron skin. United States: N. p., 2022.
Web. doi:10.1103/physrevc.106.034913.
Liu, Lu-Meng, Zhang, Chun-Jian, Xu, Jun, Jia, Jiangyong, & Peng, Guang-Xiong. Free spectator nucleons in ultracentral relativistic heavy-ion collisions as a probe of neutron skin. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevc.106.034913
Liu, Lu-Meng, Zhang, Chun-Jian, Xu, Jun, Jia, Jiangyong, and Peng, Guang-Xiong. Mon .
"Free spectator nucleons in ultracentral relativistic heavy-ion collisions as a probe of neutron skin". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevc.106.034913. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1897507.
@article{osti_1897507,
title = {Free spectator nucleons in ultracentral relativistic heavy-ion collisions as a probe of neutron skin},
author = {Liu, Lu-Meng and Zhang, Chun-Jian and Xu, Jun and Jia, Jiangyong and Peng, Guang-Xiong},
abstractNote = {Besides the yield ratio of free spectator neutrons produced in ultracentral 96Zr + 96Zr to 96Ru + 96Ru collisions, we propose that the yield ratio Nn/Np of free spectator neutrons to protons in a single collision system at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider or the CERN Large Hadron Collider can be a more sensitive probe of the neutron-skin thickness Δrnp and the slope parameter L of the symmetry energy. Here, the idea is demonstrated based on the proton and neutron density distributions of colliding nuclei obtained from Skyrme-Hartree-Fock-Bogolyubov calculations, and on a Glauber model that provides information of spectator matter. The final spectator particles are produced from direct emission, clusterization by a minimum spanning tree algorithm or a Wigner function approach, and deexcitation of heavy clusters by gemini. A larger Δrnp associated with a larger L value increases the isospin asymmetry of spectator matter and thus leads to a larger Nn/Np, especially in ultracentral collisions where the multiplicity of free nucleons are free from the uncertainties of cluster formation and deexcitation. We have further shown that the double ratio of Nn/Np in isobaric collision systems or in collisions by isotopes helps to cancel the detecting efficiency for protons. Effects from nuclear deformation and electromagnetic excitation are studied, and they are found to be subdominant compared to the expected sensitivity to Δrnp.},
doi = {10.1103/physrevc.106.034913},
journal = {Physical Review. C},
number = 3,
volume = 106,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Sep 26 00:00:00 EDT 2022},
month = {Mon Sep 26 00:00:00 EDT 2022}
}
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