2010/08/31 by M. Alvioli, Massimiliano Alvioli, M. Strikman · 20 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Asymmetry #Atomic physics #Collision #Deep inelastic scattering #Fragmentation (computing) #Glauber #High-Energy Particle Collisions Research #Impact parameter #Inelastic scattering #Momentum transfer #Monte Carlo method #Nuclear physics #Nuclear physics research studies #Nucleon #Particle physics #Physics #Quantum Chromodynamics and Particle Interactions #Quantum mechanics #Range (aeronautics) #Scattering #hep-ph #nucl-ex #nucl-th
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevc.83.044905
published in Physical Review C 83(4) (American Institute of Physics) · 16 pages; 13 figures. Added one figure. Final version published in Phys.Rev. C
openalex publication_date 2011/04/13 · arxiv created 2011/04/24 · arxiv updated 2011/04/29 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We develop a new approach to production of the spectator nucleons in the ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions. The energy transfer to the spectator system is calculated using the Monte Carlo based on the updated version of our generator of configurations in colliding nuclei which includes a realistic account of short-range correlations in nuclei. The transferred energy distributions are calculated within the framework of the Glauber multiple-scattering theory, taking into account all individual inelastic and elastic collisions using an independent realistic calculation of the potential energy contribution of each of the nucleon-nucleon pairs to the total potential. We show that the dominant mechanism of the energy transfer is tearing apart pairs of nucleons with the major contribution coming from the short-range correlations. We calculate the momentum distribution of the directed flow of emitted nucleons which is strongly affected by short-range correlations, including its dependence on the azimuthal angle. In particular, we predict a strong angular asymmetry along the direction of the impact parameter b, providing a unique opportunity to determine the direction of b. Also, we predict a strong dependence of the shape of the nucleon momentum distribution on the centrality of the nucleus-nucleus collision.