Vector resonances spin alignement as a probe of spin hydrodynamics and freeze-out

TL;DR

This paper proposes using vector meson spin alignment measurements to investigate spin relaxation and coherence phenomena in vortical fluids, providing insights into spin hydrodynamics and freeze-out processes.

Contribution

It introduces a coalescence model to analyze how vector meson spin alignment reveals spin dynamics and coherence at freeze-out.

Findings

Spin alignment can probe relaxation between vorticity and spin polarization.

Coherence of hadron wavefunction affects spin alignment signals.

Model provides a framework for interpreting experimental data.

Abstract

We argue that a detailed analysis of the spin alignement of vector mesons can serve as a probe of two little-understood aspects of spin dynamics in the vortical fluid: The degree of relaxation between vorticity and parton spin polarization, and the degree of coherence of the hadron wavefunction at freeze-out. We illustrate these with a coalescence model.