B_c Production at RHIC as a Signal for Deconfinement

TL;DR

This paper proposes that B_c meson production at RHIC can serve as a signal for deconfined quark-gluon plasma, with enhanced production rates indicating the formation of such a state.

Contribution

It introduces the idea that B_c mesons can be used as a probe for deconfinement and provides initial calculations on their production rates in different matter states.

Findings

Normal hadronic production rates are too low for detection at RHIC.

Deconfined matter can significantly enhance B_c production.

Observation of B_c mesons indicates deconfined quark matter formation.

Abstract

The B_C meson is the bound state of b-cbar whose recent detection is the first step toward completion of the spectroscopy of heavy quark mesonic states. The b-c states have properties that conveniently fill the gap between the J/Psi and Upsilon states. Thus it is probable that at RHIC the B_c mesons will serve as a probe of deconfined matter. We find that significant differences arise for B_c formation in deconfined and confined matter. Our initial calculations suggest that: (a) The rates of normal hadronic production mechanisms at RHIC energies are not sufficient to produce a detectable number of B_c mesons, (b) If a region of deconfined quarks and gluons is formed, the production (and survival) rate can be enhanced by several orders of magnitude, and (c) The observation of B_c mesons at RHIC would signal a source of deconfined charmed quarks, and the rate of B_c production will be a measure of the initial density and temperature of that source.