Probing Neutron Skin through Event-by-Event Pion Asymmetry in Heavy-ion collisions
Fuente:
arXiv
Gespeichert in:
| Hauptverfasser: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Preprint |
| Veröffentlicht: |
2025
|
| Schlagworte: | |
| Online-Zugang: | |
| Tags: |
Tag hinzufügen
Keine Tags, Fügen Sie den ersten Tag hinzu!
|
| _version_ | 1866912708572479488 |
|---|---|
| author | Tian, Xu-Hua Pang, Long-Gang |
| author_facet | Tian, Xu-Hua Pang, Long-Gang |
| contents | In this work, we propose a novel approach for probing the neutron skin thickness of gold (Au) by analyzing the event-by-event distribution of $π^{-}$ and $π^{+}$ yield differences. This is achieved through SMASH simulations of ultra-peripheral Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=3$ GeV. Our results demonstrate that the mean value of $Δn_π = n_{π^{-}} - n_{π^{+}}$, along with the Pearson correlation and mutual information between $(π^{-}+π^{+})$ and $(π^{-}-π^{+})$, all scale linearly with the neutron skin thickness. Moreover, the slope of the line connecting two distinct $Δn_π$ values in the event-by-event distribution also exhibits a linear dependence on the neutron skin thickness. The most sensitive $Δn_π$ pairs are identified as $(-1, 1)$, $(-1, 2)$, $(0, 1)$, and $(0, 2)$. These findings establish a new pathway for determining the neutron skin thickness. Finally, by comparing SMASH and UrQMD simulations under identical initial conditions, we observe that individual slope values depend on the specific collision model. However, by extracting slopes from multiple $Δn_π$ pairs in experimental event-by-event data and inferring the corresponding neutron skin thickness, one can assess which model better aligns with the true physical value. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2510_20166 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Probing Neutron Skin through Event-by-Event Pion Asymmetry in Heavy-ion collisions Tian, Xu-Hua Pang, Long-Gang Nuclear Theory High Energy Physics - Theory In this work, we propose a novel approach for probing the neutron skin thickness of gold (Au) by analyzing the event-by-event distribution of $π^{-}$ and $π^{+}$ yield differences. This is achieved through SMASH simulations of ultra-peripheral Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=3$ GeV. Our results demonstrate that the mean value of $Δn_π = n_{π^{-}} - n_{π^{+}}$, along with the Pearson correlation and mutual information between $(π^{-}+π^{+})$ and $(π^{-}-π^{+})$, all scale linearly with the neutron skin thickness. Moreover, the slope of the line connecting two distinct $Δn_π$ values in the event-by-event distribution also exhibits a linear dependence on the neutron skin thickness. The most sensitive $Δn_π$ pairs are identified as $(-1, 1)$, $(-1, 2)$, $(0, 1)$, and $(0, 2)$. These findings establish a new pathway for determining the neutron skin thickness. Finally, by comparing SMASH and UrQMD simulations under identical initial conditions, we observe that individual slope values depend on the specific collision model. However, by extracting slopes from multiple $Δn_π$ pairs in experimental event-by-event data and inferring the corresponding neutron skin thickness, one can assess which model better aligns with the true physical value. |
| title | Probing Neutron Skin through Event-by-Event Pion Asymmetry in Heavy-ion collisions |
| topic | Nuclear Theory High Energy Physics - Theory |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.20166 |