Article

Mass Dependence of Light-Nucleus Production in Ultrarelativistic Heavy-Ion Collisions

T. A. ArmstrongPennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802K. N. BarishUniversity of California at Riverside, Riverside, California 92521S. BatsouliYale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520S. J. BennettWayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48201A. ChikanianYale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520S. D. CoeYale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520T. M. CormierWayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48201R. DaviesPurdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907C. B. DoverBrookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973P. FachiniWayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48201B. FademIowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011E. FinchYale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520N. GeorgeYale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520S. V. GreeneVanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235P. HaridasMassachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139J. C. HillIowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011A. HirschPurdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907R. HoverstenIowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011H. Z. HuangUniversity of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095H. JaradatWayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48201B. S. KumarYale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520T. LainisUnited States Military Academy, West Point, New York 10996J. G. LajoieIowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011R. A. LewisPennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802Q. LiWayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48201Bruce LibbyIowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011R. MajkaYale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520T. E. MillerVanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235M. G. MunhozWayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48201J. L. NagleColumbia University, Nevis Laboratory, Irvington, New York 10533I. A. PlessMassachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139J. PopeYale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520N. PorilePurdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907C. A. PruneauWayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48201M. S. Z. RabinUniversity of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003John D. ReidVanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235A. RimaiPurdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907A. RoseVanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235F. S. RotondoYale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520J. SandweissYale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520R. P. ScharenbergPurdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907A. J. SlaughterYale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520Gerald A. SmithPennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802M. TincknellPurdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907W.S. ToothackerPennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802G. Van BurenMassachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139F. K. WohnIowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011N. XuYale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520

1999en

ABI

Abstract

Light nuclei can be produced in the central reaction zone via coalescence in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. Experiment 864 at BNL has measured the production of ten light nuclei with nuclear number $A\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}1$ to $A\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}7$ at rapidity $y\ensuremath{\simeq}1.9$ and ${p}_{T}/A\ensuremath{\le}300\mathrm{MeV}/c$. Data were taken with a Au beam of momentum of $11.5A\mathrm{GeV}/c$ on a Pb or Pt target with different experimental settings. The invariant yields show a striking exponential dependence on nuclear number with a penalty factor of about 50 per additional nucleon. Detailed analysis reveals that the production may depend on the spin factor of the nucleus and the nuclear binding energy as well.

Identifiers

DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.83.5431

Citations and references

Cited by 20 references

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