Forward Production of Protons and Pions in Heavy-ion Collisions

TL;DR

This paper revisits the forward production of hadrons in heavy-ion collisions at RHIC, improving the theoretical model and using new data to better understand hadronization and particle ratios.

Contribution

It introduces modifications to the recombination model, refining momentum degradation and quark regeneration, and provides new predictions for particle ratios at forward rapidities.

Findings

Reproduces the p_T spectrum of charged particles accurately.

Uses new data to constrain the degradation parameter.

Predicts pbar/p ratio dependence on p_T at eta=3.2.

Abstract

The problem of forward production of hadrons in heavy-ion collision at RHIC is revisited with modification of the theoretical treatment on the one hand and with the use of new data on the other. The basic formalism for hadronization remains the same as before, namely, recombination, but the details of momentum degradation and quark regeneration are improved. Recent data on the p/pi and pbar/p ratios are used to constrain the value of the degradation parameter. The p_T spectrum of the average charged particles is well reproduced. A prediction on the p_T dependence of the pbar/p ratio at eta=3.2 is made.