Baryon stopping and saturation physics in relativistic collisions

TL;DR

This paper models baryon transport in relativistic heavy-ion collisions using saturation physics, deriving an analytical scaling law within the color glass condensate framework, and compares predictions with experimental data from RHIC and LHC.

Contribution

It introduces a new analytical scaling law for baryon transport based on saturation physics within the color glass condensate model, applicable across different energies.

Findings

The model accurately describes transverse momentum spectra and net-baryon rapidity distributions.

Limits for the saturation-scale exponent are established from RHIC data.

Predictions for LHC energies include net-baryon spectra and rapidity loss.

Abstract

We investigate baryon transport in relativistic heavy-ion collisions at energies reached at the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron, BNL Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider (RHIC), and CERN LHC in the model of saturation. An analytical scaling law is derived within the color glass condensate framework based on small-coupling QCD. Transverse momentum spectra, net-baryon rapidity distributions and their energy, mass and centrality dependences are well described. In a comparison with RHIC data in Au + Au collisions at sqrt (s_NN) = 62.4 GeV and 200 GeV, the gradual approach to the gluon saturation regime is investigated, and limits for the saturation-scale exponent are determined. Predictions for net-baryon rapidity spectra and the mean rapidity loss in central Pb + Pb collisions at LHC energies of sqrt (s_NN) = 5.52 TeV are made.