Probing the Three-dimension Emission Source and Neutron Skin via $\pi$-$\pi$ Correlations in Heavy-Ion Collisions

TL;DR

This paper applies the Richardson-Lucy algorithm to reconstruct three-dimensional pion emission sources from heavy-ion collision data, demonstrating its effectiveness and potential to probe neutron skin thickness in nuclei.

Contribution

It introduces the use of the Richardson-Lucy algorithm for 3D source imaging in heavy-ion collisions and shows its sensitivity to neutron skin thickness.

Findings

The algorithm accurately reconstructs source functions from simulated data.

It successfully images sources from experimental Au+Au collision data.

Reconstructed sources are sensitive to neutron skin thickness in Pb+Pb collisions.

Abstract

The Richardson-Lucy algorithm is applied to reconstruct the three-dimensional source function of identical pions from their two-particle correlation functions. The algorithm's performance is first evaluated through simulations with Gaussian-type initial source functions. Its imaging quality and robustness are further demonstrated with experimental data from Au+Au collisions at 1.23 A GeV, collected by the HADES Collaboration. Additionally, using UrQMD simulations of Pb+Pb collisions at 1.5 A GeV, we show that the deblurred source functions exhibit sensitivity to the initial neutron skin thickness of the colliding nuclei. This highlights the potential of the Richardson-Lucy algorithm as a tool for probing the neutron density distribution in heavy nuclei.