Investigating Local Parity Violation in Heavy-Ion Collisions Using Lambda Helicity

TL;DR

This paper proposes measuring net Lambda helicity correlated with charge separation to detect the Chiral Magnetic Effect in heavy-ion collisions, using simulations to estimate experimental signals at RHIC.

Contribution

It introduces a novel measurement approach of Lambda helicity correlated with charge separation as a probe for local parity violation in heavy-ion collisions.

Findings

Simulation estimates of the expected correlation signal at RHIC.

Demonstration of the feasibility of using Lambda helicity measurements to detect CME.

Potential sensitivity of the proposed method to local parity violation effects.

Abstract

We propose the measurement of net $\Lambda$ and $\bar{\Lambda}$ helicity, correlated event-by-event with the magnitude and sign of charge separation along the event's magnetic field direction, as a probe to investigate the Chiral Magnetic Effect in Heavy-Ion Collisions. With a simple simulation model of heavy-ion events that includes effects of Local Parity Violation, we estimate the experimental correlation signal that could be expected at RHIC given the results of previous measurements that are sensitive to the CME.