We review the present status of the search for a phase transition and critical point as well as anomalous transport phenomena in Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), with an emphasis on the Beam Energy Scan ...program at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider at Brookhaven National Laboratory. We present the conceptual framework and discuss the observables deemed most sensitive to a phase transition, QCD critical point, and anomalous transport, focusing on fluctuation and correlation measurements. Selected experimental results for these observables together with those characterizing the global properties of the systems created in heavy ion collisions are presented. We then discuss what can be already learned from the currently available data about the QCD critical point and anomalous transport as well as what additional measurements and theoretical developments are needed in order to discover these phenomena.
A decisive experimental test of the Chiral Magnetic Effect (CME) is considered one of the major scientific goals at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider (RHIC) towards understanding the nontrivial ...topological fluctuations of the Quantum Chromodynamics vacuum. In heavy-ion collisions, the CME is expected to result in a charge separation phenomenon across the reaction plane, whose strength could be strongly energy dependent. The previous CME searches have been focused on top RHIC energy collisions. In this Letter, we present a low energy search for the CME in Au+Au collisions at sNN=27 GeV. We measure elliptic flow scaled charge-dependent correlators relative to the event planes that are defined at both mid-rapidity |η|<1.0 and at forward rapidity 2.1<|η|<5.1. We compare the results based on the directed flow plane (Ψ1) at forward rapidity and the elliptic flow plane (Ψ2) at both central and forward rapidity. The CME scenario is expected to result in a larger correlation relative to Ψ1 than to Ψ2, while a flow driven background scenario would lead to a consistent result for both event planes. In 10-50% centrality, results using three different event planes are found to be consistent within experimental uncertainties, suggesting a flow driven background scenario dominating the measurement. We obtain an upper limit on the deviation from a flow driven background scenario at the 95% confidence level. This work opens up a possible road map towards future CME search with the high statistics data from the RHIC Beam Energy Scan Phase-II.
The Beam Energy Scan Theory (BEST) Collaboration was formed with the goal of providing a theoretical framework for analyzing data from the Beam Energy Scan (BES) program at the relativistic heavy ion ...collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The physics goal of the BES program is the search for a conjectured QCD critical point as well as for manifestations of the chiral magnetic effect. We describe progress that has been made over the previous five years. This includes studies of the equation of state and equilibrium susceptibilities, the development of suitable initial state models, progress in constructing a hydrodynamic framework that includes fluctuations and anomalous transport effects, as well as the development of freezeout prescriptions and hadronic transport models. Finally, we address the challenge of integrating these components into a complete analysis framework. This document describes the collective effort of the BEST Collaboration and its collaborators around the world.
Beam energy scan programs in heavy-ion collisions aim to explore the QCD phase structure at high baryon density. Sensitive observables are applied to probe the signatures of the QCD phase transition ...and critical point in heavy-ion collisions at RHIC and SPS. Intriguing structures, such as dip, peak and oscillation, have been observed in the energy dependence of various observables. In this paper, an overview is given and corresponding physics implications will be discussed for the experimental highlights from the beam energy scan programs at the STAR, PHENIX and NA61/SHINE experiments. Furthermore, the beam energy scan phase II at RHIC (2019–2020) and other future experimental facilities for studying the physics at low energies will be also discussed.
A decisive experimental test of the Chiral Magnetic Effect (CME) is considered one of the major scientific goals at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider (RHIC) towards understanding the nontrivial ...topological fluctuations of the Quantum Chromodynamics vacuum. In heavy-ion collisions, the CME is expected to result in a charge separation phenomenon across the reaction plane, whose strength could be strongly energy dependent. The previous CME searches have been focused on top RHIC energy collisions. In this Letter, we present a low energy search for the CME in Au+Au collisions at √sNN = 27 GeV. We measure elliptic flow scaled charge-dependent correlators relative to the event planes that are defined at both mid-rapidity |η| < 1.0 and at forward rapidity 2.1 < |η| < 5.1. We compare the results based on the directed flow plane (Ψ1) at forward rapidity and the elliptic flow plane (Ψ2) at both central and forward rapidity. The CME scenario is expected to result in a larger correlation relative to Ψ1 than to Ψ2, while a flow driven background scenario would lead to a consistent result for both event planes 1, 2. In 10-50% centrality, results using three different event planes are found to be consistent within experimental uncertainties, suggesting a flow driven background scenario dominating the measurement. We obtain an upper limit on the deviation from a flow driven background scenario at the 95% confidence level. This work opens up a possible road map towards future CME search with the high statistics data from the RHIC Beam Energy Scan Phase-II.
Heavy-ion collisions at center-of-mass energies between 1 and 100 GeV/nucleon are essential to understand the phase diagram of QCD and search for its critical point. At these energies the net baryon ...density of the system can be high, and simulating its evolution becomes an indispensable part of theoretical modeling. We here present the (3+1)-dimensional diffusive relativistic hydrodynamic code BEShydro which solves the equations of motion of second-order Denicol–Niemi–Molnar–Rischke (DNMR) theory, including bulk and shear viscous currents and baryon diffusion currents. BEShydro features a modular structure that allows to easily turn on and off baryon evolution and different dissipative effects and thus to study their physical effects on the dynamical evolution individually. An extensive set of test protocols for the code, including several novel tests of the precision of baryon transport that can also be used to test other such codes, is documented here and supplied as a permanent part of the code package.
Program Title:BEShydro
Program Files doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.17632/xwywvb2psm.1
Licensing provisions: GPLv3
Programming language: C++
External routines/libraries: GNU Scientific Library (GSL)
Nature of problem: (3+1)-dimensional dynamical evolution of hot and dense matter created in relativistic heavy-ion collisions using second-order dissipative relativistic fluid dynamics, including evolution of net baryon number and its dissipative diffusion current.
Solution method: Runge–Kutta Kurganov–Tadmor algorithm.
In recent years, selective laser melting (SLM)-NiTi had developed rapidly due to the ability to achieve the complex shape and internal features, as well as high dimensional accuracy. The choice of ...parameters was particularly critical to the forming and performance of SLM-NiTi. In this work, we had designed and prepared five sets of SLM-NiTi shape memory alloys with the same energy density (range of 40–90 J/mm3). The microstructure, phase transition characteristic, mechanical properties and shape memory effect of SLM-NiTi shape memory alloys were investigated through various characterization methods of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and stress-controlled cyclic tensile tests, etc. The results showed that the surface forming quality of SLM-NiTi was not only related to the energy density, but also related to the value of P/V, which higher than 0.3 or lower than 0.1 would lead to the formation of surface pores. Interestingly, the SLM-NiTi showed ultrahigh failure strength of 735 MPa and elongation of 10.88% under room temperature tensile conditions. In addition, stress-controlled cyclic tensile tests under 400 MPa indicated that the SLM-NiTi had excellent shape memory effect of 76.1% recovery ratio and 3.95% recoverable strain after ten times loading–unloading cycles. The design of multi-parameter variables can not only optimize the surface quality, but also provide a basis for the prediction of SLM-NiTi phase transition temperature.
We present the first measurements of the transverse momentum spectra and azimuthal anisotropy of the identified hadrons (π+,π−,K+,K−,p(p‾),Ks0,Λ(Λ‾) and ϕ) at mid-rapidity in Au+Au collisions at ...sNN=14.5 GeV for various collision centralities. These measurements are compared to corresponding results from other BES energies. The bulk properties of the system, like the chemical and kinetic freeze-out conditions and the collectivity extracted from the measured yields of the produced particles are presented. The difference between baryon and anti-baryon elliptic flow for minimum bias collisions previously reported by STAR is also observed in the new data taken at sNN=14.5 GeV. Furthermore, the new data at 14.5 GeV are consistent with the trend established by the results at lower and higher beam energies. The energy and centrality dependence of the baryon chemical potential (μB), radial flow velocity (〈β〉), and chemical and kinetic freeze-out temperatures is discussed systematically.
The main aim of the RHIC Beam Energy Scan (BES) program is to explore the QCD phase diagram which includes search for a possible QCD critical point and the phase boundary between QGP and hadronic ...phase. We report the collision energy and centrality dependence of kinetic freeze-out properties from the measured mid-rapidity (|y|<0.1) light hadrons (pions, kaons, protons and their anti-particles) for Au+Au collisions at the center-of-mass energy sNN=7.7,11.5,19.6,27, and 39 GeV. The STAR detector, with a large uniform acceptance and excellent particle identification is used in the data collection and analysis. The kinetic freeze-out temperature Tkin and average collective velocity 〈β〉 parameters are extracted from blast-wave fits to the identified hadron spectra and systematically compared with the results from other collision energies including those at AGS, SPS and LHC. It is found that all results fall into an anti-correlation band in the 2-dimensional (Tkin, 〈β〉) distribution: the largest value of collective velocity and lowest temperature is reached in the most central collisions at the highest collision energy. The energy dependence of these freeze-out parameters is discussed.
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