Impact of Geometric Inflation on Nucleon Size Sensitivity in Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collisions
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2026
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| _version_ | 1866914352022421504 |
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| author | Wang, Jian-fei Xu, Hao-jie |
| author_facet | Wang, Jian-fei Xu, Hao-jie |
| contents | The intrinsic transverse size of nucleons, parameterized by a Gaussian width $w$, is a critical yet uncertain input in the initial-state modeling of relativistic heavy-ion collisions. Using a finite $w$ in standard initial geometry models introduces an unintentional ``geometric inflation'' that alters the initial nuclear density profile. In this study, we implement a self-consistent density correction to eliminate this artifact and investigate its impact on final-state observables. Through hybrid (viscous hydrodynamics + hadronic transport) simulations of $^{208}$Pb+$^{208}$Pb collisions at the LHC, we demonstrate that removing geometric inflation significantly modifies the sensitivity of observables to the nucleon width $w$. While elliptic flow and mean transverse momentum ($\langle [p_{\rm T}]\rangle$) become less sensitive to variations in $w$, the Pearson correlation coefficient $ρ(v_{n}^{2}, δp_{\rm T})$, $[p_{\rm T}]$ fluctuations, and triangular flow exhibit enhanced sensitivity to fluctuations in nucleon positions. Our results indicate that uncorrected geometric inflation can bias the extraction of nucleon structure and quark-gluon plasma properties. This underscores the necessity of a self-consistent initial-state geometry for reliable Bayesian inference in heavy-ion collisions. |
| format | Preprint |
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arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2602_22383 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Impact of Geometric Inflation on Nucleon Size Sensitivity in Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collisions Wang, Jian-fei Xu, Hao-jie Nuclear Theory Nuclear Experiment The intrinsic transverse size of nucleons, parameterized by a Gaussian width $w$, is a critical yet uncertain input in the initial-state modeling of relativistic heavy-ion collisions. Using a finite $w$ in standard initial geometry models introduces an unintentional ``geometric inflation'' that alters the initial nuclear density profile. In this study, we implement a self-consistent density correction to eliminate this artifact and investigate its impact on final-state observables. Through hybrid (viscous hydrodynamics + hadronic transport) simulations of $^{208}$Pb+$^{208}$Pb collisions at the LHC, we demonstrate that removing geometric inflation significantly modifies the sensitivity of observables to the nucleon width $w$. While elliptic flow and mean transverse momentum ($\langle [p_{\rm T}]\rangle$) become less sensitive to variations in $w$, the Pearson correlation coefficient $ρ(v_{n}^{2}, δp_{\rm T})$, $[p_{\rm T}]$ fluctuations, and triangular flow exhibit enhanced sensitivity to fluctuations in nucleon positions. Our results indicate that uncorrected geometric inflation can bias the extraction of nucleon structure and quark-gluon plasma properties. This underscores the necessity of a self-consistent initial-state geometry for reliable Bayesian inference in heavy-ion collisions. |
| title | Impact of Geometric Inflation on Nucleon Size Sensitivity in Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collisions |
| topic | Nuclear Theory Nuclear Experiment |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.22383 |