Antiproton-to-Proton Ratios for ALICE Heavy-Ion Collisions

TL;DR

This study uses the hadron resonance gas model to successfully reproduce antiproton-to-proton ratios in heavy-ion and proton-proton collisions across a wide energy range, indicating near matter-antimatter symmetry at LHC energies.

Contribution

The paper demonstrates that the HRG model, including phase transition effects, accurately describes antiproton-to-proton ratios from AGS to LHC energies, extending previous understanding.

Findings

HRG model reproduces ratios from AGS to RHIC energies.

Ratios in $pp$ collisions converge with heavy-ion results at high energies.

Antiproton-to-proton ratio approaches unity at LHC, indicating matter-antimatter symmetry.

Abstract

Assuming that the final state of hadronization takes place along the freezeout line, which is defined by a constant entropy density, the antiproton-to-proton ratios produced in heavy-ion collisions are studied in framework of the hadron resonance gas (HRG) model. A phase transition from quark--gluon plasma to hadrons, a hadronization, has been conjectured in order to allow modifications in the phase space volume and thus in single--particle distribution function. Implementing both modifications in the grand--canonical partition function and taking into account the experimental acceptance in heavy-ion collisions, the antiproton-to-proton ratios over center-of-mass energies $\sqrt{s}$ ranging from AGS to RHIC are very well reproduced by the HRG model. Comparing with the same particle ratios in $pp$ collisions results in a gradually narrowing discrepancy with increasing $\sqrt{s}$. At LHC energy, the ALICE antiproton-to-proton ratios in $pp$ collisions turn to be very well described by HRG model as well. It is likely that the ALICE heavy-ion program will produce the same antiproton-to-proton ratios as the $pp$ program. Furthermore, the ratio gets very close to unity indicating that the matter-antimatter asymmetry nearly vanishes. The chemical potential calculated at this energy strengthens the assumption of almost fully matter-antimatter symmetry at LHC energy.