Particle production and nonlinear diffusion in relativistic systems

TL;DR

This paper models particle production in high-energy heavy-ion collisions as a nonlinear diffusion process, providing analytical insights into rapidity distributions during the partonic phase and subsequent diffusion, with predictions validated against RHIC data and extended to LHC energies.

Contribution

It introduces an analytical approach using nonlinear diffusion to describe early parton production and subsequent linear diffusion in relativistic heavy-ion collisions, enhancing understanding of rapidity distributions.

Findings

Excellent agreement with RHIC data

Predictions for LHC energies

Detailed analysis of d+Au collisions

Abstract

The short parton production phase in high-energy heavy-ion collisions is treated analytically as a nonlinear diffusion process. The initial buildup of the rapidity density distributions of produced charged hadrons within tau_p = 0.25 fm/c occurs in three sources during the colored partonic phase. In a two-step approach, the subsequent diffusion in pseudorapidity space during the interaction time of tau_int = 7-10 fm/c (mean duration of the collision) is essentially linear as expressed in the Relativistic Diffusion Model (RDM) which yields excellent agreement with the data at RHIC energies, and allows for predictions at LHC energies. Results for d+Au are discussed in detail.