Elliptic flow of deuterons in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

TL;DR

This paper investigates deuteron production and elliptic flow in relativistic heavy-ion collisions at RHIC using a dynamical model, comparing results with the coalescence model and experimental data to understand nucleon phase space effects.

Contribution

It introduces a dynamical model for deuteron production that accounts for specific nuclear reactions and compares its predictions with the coalescence model and experimental data.

Findings

Deuteron elliptic flow deviates from nucleon number scaling.

The model's results align with experimental data.

Insights into nucleon phase space constraints are provided.

Abstract

Using a dynamical model based on the $NN \to d\pi$, $NNN \to dN$, and $NN\pi \to d\pi$ reactions and measured proton and pion transverse momentum spectra and elliptic flows, we study the production of deuterons and their elliptic flow in heavy ion collisions at RHIC. The results are compared with those from the coalescence model. The deviation of deuteron elliptic flow from the constituent nucleon number scaling expected from the coalescence model and the comparison with the experimental data are discussed in connection to the allowed nucleon phase space in these reactions.