$\Omega^-$ production as a probe of equation of state of dense matter near the QCD phase transition in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

TL;DR

This study investigates how the production of the hyperon $ ext{Ω}^-$ in relativistic heavy-ion collisions can serve as a sensitive probe for understanding the equation of state of dense nuclear matter near the QCD phase transition.

Contribution

It demonstrates that the yield and flow of $ ext{Ω}^-$ hyperons are more sensitive to the EoS than $ ext{Ξ}^-$, highlighting $ ext{Ω}^-$ as a valuable observable for dense matter studies.

Findings

$ ext{Ω}^-$ production is highly sensitive to the EoS.

$ ext{Ω}^-$ yields and flows vary significantly with different EoS models.

$ ext{Ω}^-$ is a promising probe for the properties of dense matter.

Abstract

The production of doubly strange hyperon $\Xi^-$ and trebly strange hyperon $\Omega^-$ in relativistic Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 4.2 GeV is explored based on a relativistic transport model that is interweaved with hadronic mean-field potentials for heavy-ion collisions. Upon comparison, it appears that relative to the double strangeness observable $\Xi^-$, the yield and collective flows of the triple strange $\Omega^-$ exhibit a higher sensitivity to the equation of state (EoS) of dense matter. This characteristic makes the $\Omega^-$ an essential observable for studying the properties of densely formed matter in relativistic heavy-ion collisions.