B_c Mesons as a signal of deconfinement

TL;DR

This paper explores B_c meson production in heavy-ion collisions at RHIC as a potential indicator of deconfinement, analyzing formation mechanisms and sensitivity to quark-gluon plasma properties.

Contribution

It introduces a model for B_c meson formation in quark-gluon plasma and assesses its detectability as a deconfinement signal.

Findings

High B_c production could yield detectable tri-lepton signals

B_c production rate is highly sensitive to deconfined medium properties

B_c propagation behavior differs from J/Psi in quark-gluon plasma

Abstract

We investigate the fate of bottom quarks produced in heavy-ion collisions at RHIC. Examining both the direct capture of a charmed quark, and multi-step processes, where the B_c meson is formed in a sequence of quark capture and exchange reactions, we find: a) that a sufficiently high number of B_c's will be produced to generate a detectable tri-lepton signal, and b) that the production rate of B_c's is highly sensitive to the properties of the deconfined source. A flavor-independent potential model, which includes color screening effects, is used to study the propagation of a B_c in a quark-gluon fireball and to compare this behavior with that of J/Psi mesons.