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Main Authors: Kumar, Avdhesh, Gubler, Philipp, Yang, Di-Lun
Format: Preprint
Published: 2023
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2312.16900
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author Kumar, Avdhesh
Gubler, Philipp
Yang, Di-Lun
author_facet Kumar, Avdhesh
Gubler, Philipp
Yang, Di-Lun
contents Starting with the polarization dependent Wigner function of vector mesons, we derive an expression for the 00-component ($ρ_{00}$) of spin density matrix in terms of the second order gradients of the vector meson distribution functions. We further apply a thermal model to analyze the transverse momentum and the azimuthal angle dependence of $ρ_{00}$ for $ϕ$ and $K^{*0}$ mesons resulting from distribution gradients in Au-Au collisions with $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=130$ GeV at mid-rapidity. Our results for the transverse momentum dependence indicate that the deviations of $ρ_{00}$ from $1/3$ as the signal for spin alignment are greatly enhanced at large transverse momenta and have a strong centrality dependence while analysis of the azimuthal angle ($ϕ_q$) dependence suggest that such deviations have a $\cos(2ϕ_q)$ structure with opposite sign for $ϕ$ and $K^{*0}$. Our finding may be considered as a baseline for probing spin-alignment mechanisms beyond hydrodynamic gradients.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2312_16900
institution arXiv
publishDate 2023
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Spin alignment of vector mesons by second-order hydrodynamic gradients
Kumar, Avdhesh
Gubler, Philipp
Yang, Di-Lun
Nuclear Theory
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
Starting with the polarization dependent Wigner function of vector mesons, we derive an expression for the 00-component ($ρ_{00}$) of spin density matrix in terms of the second order gradients of the vector meson distribution functions. We further apply a thermal model to analyze the transverse momentum and the azimuthal angle dependence of $ρ_{00}$ for $ϕ$ and $K^{*0}$ mesons resulting from distribution gradients in Au-Au collisions with $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=130$ GeV at mid-rapidity. Our results for the transverse momentum dependence indicate that the deviations of $ρ_{00}$ from $1/3$ as the signal for spin alignment are greatly enhanced at large transverse momenta and have a strong centrality dependence while analysis of the azimuthal angle ($ϕ_q$) dependence suggest that such deviations have a $\cos(2ϕ_q)$ structure with opposite sign for $ϕ$ and $K^{*0}$. Our finding may be considered as a baseline for probing spin-alignment mechanisms beyond hydrodynamic gradients.
title Spin alignment of vector mesons by second-order hydrodynamic gradients
topic Nuclear Theory
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2312.16900