Pionic Freeze-out Hypersurfaces in Relativistic Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions

TL;DR

This paper investigates the space-time structure of multipion systems in relativistic heavy-ion collisions, identifying freeze-out hypersurfaces and their energy dependence using the UrQMD model, with implications for modeling collision dynamics.

Contribution

It introduces a method to determine freeze-out hypersurfaces based on pion density and energy density, revealing a universal freeze-out time at high energies and its potential as a benchmark in hybrid models.

Findings

Freeze-out hypersurfaces are consistent when defined by pion density or energy density.

At energies above 40A GeV/c, the multipion system splits into two parts moving apart at near light speed.

The freeze-out time  is approximately invariant across high collision energies.

Abstract

The space-time structure of the multipion system created in central relativistic heavy-ion collisions is investigated. Using the microscopic transport model UrQMD we determine the freeze-out hypersurface from equation on pion density n(t,r)=n_c. It turns out that for proper value of the critical energy density \epsilon_c equation \epsilon(t,r)=\epsilon_c gives the same freeze-out hypersurface. It is shown that for big enough collision energies E_kin > 40A GeV/c (sqrt(s) > 8A GeV/c) the multipion system at a time moment {\tau} ceases to be one connected unit but splits up into two separate spatial parts (drops), which move in opposite directions from one another with velocities which approach the speed of light with increase of collision energy. This time {\tau} is approximately invariant of the collision energy, and the corresponding \tau=const. hypersurface can serve as a benchmark for the freeze-out time or the transition time from the hydrostage in hybrid models. The properties of this hypersurface are discussed.