Thermal nature of charmonium transverse momentum spectra from Au-Au collisions at the highest energies available at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC)

TL;DR

This paper investigates the transverse momentum spectra of charmonium and other hadrons in high-energy Au-Au collisions at RHIC, suggesting a simultaneous freeze-out process based on a blast-wave model analysis.

Contribution

It introduces a blast-wave model that considers inhomogeneity and flow fluctuations to analyze charmonium spectra at RHIC.

Findings

Charmonium spectra are consistent with freeze-out just after chemical freeze-out.

The model describes the spectra well using inhomogeneity and flow fluctuations.

Supports the idea of a common freeze-out stage for certain hadrons.

Abstract

We analyze the transverse momentum distribution of $J/\psi$ mesons produced in Au + Au collisions at the top RHIC energy within a blast-wave model that accounts for a possible inhomogeneity of the charmonium distribution and/or flow fluctuations. The results imply that the transverse momentum spectra of$J/\psi$, $\phi$ and $\Omega$ hadrons measured at the RHIC can be described well if kinetic freeze-out takes place just after chemical freeze-out for these particles.