Beam Energy Dependence of Fifth- and Sixth-Order Net-Proton Number Fluctuations in Au+Au Collisions at RHIC

(STAR Collaboration)

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.082301

Beam Energy Dependence of Fifth- and Sixth-Order Net-Proton Number Fluctuations in Au+Au Collisions at RHIC

(STAR Collaboration)

Chemistry

Stony Brook University

Texas A&M University
Czech Technical University in Prague
AGH University of Krakow
Ohio State University
Panjab University
Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre India
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Abilene Christian University
Universidad de Tarapacá
University of California at Riverside
University of Houston
University of Jammu
Stony Brook University
Czech Academy of Sciences
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yale University
University of California at Davis
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
University of California at Los Angeles
Indiana University Bloomington
Shandong University
Fudan University
Tsinghua University
University of California at Berkeley
Eötvös Loránd University
University of Illinois at Chicago
Heidelberg University
Wayne State University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

41 Scopus citations

Abstract

We report the beam energy and collision centrality dependence of fifth and sixth order cumulants (C5, C6) and factorial cumulants (κ5, κ6) of net-proton and proton number distributions, from center-of-mass energy (sNN) 3 GeV to 200 GeV Au+Au collisions at RHIC. Cumulant ratios of net-proton (taken as proxy for net-baryon) distributions generally follow the hierarchy expected from QCD thermodynamics, except for the case of collisions at 3 GeV. The measured values of C6/C2 for 0%-40% centrality collisions show progressively negative trend with decreasing energy, while it is positive for the lowest energy studied. These observed negative signs are consistent with QCD calculations (for baryon chemical potential, μB≤110 MeV) which contains the crossover transition range. In addition, for energies above 7.7 GeV, the measured proton κn, within uncertainties, does not support the two-component (Poisson+binomial) shape of proton number distributions that would be expected from a first-order phase transition. Taken in combination, the hyperorder proton number fluctuations suggest that the structure of QCD matter at high baryon density, μB∼750 MeV at sNN=3 GeV is starkly different from those at vanishing μB∼24 MeV at sNN=200 GeV and higher collision energies.

Original language	English
Article number	082301
Journal	Physical Review Letters
Volume	130
Issue number	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.082301
State	Published - Feb 24 2023

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10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.082301

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@article{362de9c8780a4b3cabcb5e84c64d3966,

title = "Beam Energy Dependence of Fifth- and Sixth-Order Net-Proton Number Fluctuations in Au+Au Collisions at RHIC",

abstract = "We report the beam energy and collision centrality dependence of fifth and sixth order cumulants (C5, C6) and factorial cumulants (κ5, κ6) of net-proton and proton number distributions, from center-of-mass energy (sNN) 3 GeV to 200 GeV Au+Au collisions at RHIC. Cumulant ratios of net-proton (taken as proxy for net-baryon) distributions generally follow the hierarchy expected from QCD thermodynamics, except for the case of collisions at 3 GeV. The measured values of C6/C2 for 0\%-40\% centrality collisions show progressively negative trend with decreasing energy, while it is positive for the lowest energy studied. These observed negative signs are consistent with QCD calculations (for baryon chemical potential, μB≤110 MeV) which contains the crossover transition range. In addition, for energies above 7.7 GeV, the measured proton κn, within uncertainties, does not support the two-component (Poisson+binomial) shape of proton number distributions that would be expected from a first-order phase transition. Taken in combination, the hyperorder proton number fluctuations suggest that the structure of QCD matter at high baryon density, μB∼750 MeV at sNN=3 GeV is starkly different from those at vanishing μB∼24 MeV at sNN=200 GeV and higher collision energies.",

author = "\{(STAR Collaboration)\} and Aboona, \{B. E.\} and J. Adam and L. Adamczyk and Adams, \{J. R.\} and I. Aggarwal and Aggarwal, \{M. M.\} and Z. Ahammed and Anderson, \{D. M.\} and Aschenauer, \{E. C.\} and J. Atchison and V. Bairathi and W. Baker and \{Ball Cap\}, \{J. G.\} and K. Barish and R. Bellwied and P. Bhagat and A. Bhasin and S. Bhatta and J. Bielcik and J. Bielcikova and Brandenburg, \{J. D.\} and Cai, \{X. Z.\} and H. Caines and \{Calder{\'o}n De La Barca S{\'a}nchez\}, M. and D. Cebra and J. Ceska and I. Chakaberia and P. Chaloupka and Chan, \{B. K.\} and Z. Chang and D. Chen and J. Chen and Chen, \{J. H.\} and Z. Chen and J. Cheng and Y. Cheng and S. Choudhury and W. Christie and X. Chu and Crawford, \{H. J.\} and M. Csan{\'a}d and G. Dale-Gau and A. Das and M. Daugherity and Deppner, \{I. M.\} and A. Dhamija and \{Di Carlo\}, L. and L. Didenko and J. Jia and R. Lacey",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 American Physical Society.",

year = "2023",

month = feb,

day = "24",

doi = "10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.082301",

language = "English",

volume = "130",

journal = "Physical Review Letters",

issn = "0031-9007",

number = "8",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Beam Energy Dependence of Fifth- and Sixth-Order Net-Proton Number Fluctuations in Au+Au Collisions at RHIC

AU - (STAR Collaboration)

AU - Aboona, B. E.

AU - Adam, J.

AU - Adamczyk, L.

AU - Adams, J. R.

AU - Aggarwal, I.

AU - Aggarwal, M. M.

AU - Ahammed, Z.

AU - Anderson, D. M.

AU - Aschenauer, E. C.

AU - Atchison, J.

AU - Bairathi, V.

AU - Baker, W.

AU - Ball Cap, J. G.

AU - Barish, K.

AU - Bellwied, R.

AU - Bhagat, P.

AU - Bhasin, A.

AU - Bhatta, S.

AU - Bielcik, J.

AU - Bielcikova, J.

AU - Brandenburg, J. D.

AU - Cai, X. Z.

AU - Caines, H.

AU - Calderón De La Barca Sánchez, M.

AU - Cebra, D.

AU - Ceska, J.

AU - Chakaberia, I.

AU - Chaloupka, P.

AU - Chan, B. K.

AU - Chang, Z.

AU - Chen, D.

AU - Chen, J.

AU - Chen, J. H.

AU - Chen, Z.

AU - Cheng, J.

AU - Cheng, Y.

AU - Choudhury, S.

AU - Christie, W.

AU - Chu, X.

AU - Crawford, H. J.

AU - Csanád, M.

AU - Dale-Gau, G.

AU - Das, A.

AU - Daugherity, M.

AU - Deppner, I. M.

AU - Dhamija, A.

AU - Di Carlo, L.

AU - Didenko, L.

AU - Jia, J.

AU - Lacey, R.

PY - 2023/2/24

Y1 - 2023/2/24

N2 - We report the beam energy and collision centrality dependence of fifth and sixth order cumulants (C5, C6) and factorial cumulants (κ5, κ6) of net-proton and proton number distributions, from center-of-mass energy (sNN) 3 GeV to 200 GeV Au+Au collisions at RHIC. Cumulant ratios of net-proton (taken as proxy for net-baryon) distributions generally follow the hierarchy expected from QCD thermodynamics, except for the case of collisions at 3 GeV. The measured values of C6/C2 for 0%-40% centrality collisions show progressively negative trend with decreasing energy, while it is positive for the lowest energy studied. These observed negative signs are consistent with QCD calculations (for baryon chemical potential, μB≤110 MeV) which contains the crossover transition range. In addition, for energies above 7.7 GeV, the measured proton κn, within uncertainties, does not support the two-component (Poisson+binomial) shape of proton number distributions that would be expected from a first-order phase transition. Taken in combination, the hyperorder proton number fluctuations suggest that the structure of QCD matter at high baryon density, μB∼750 MeV at sNN=3 GeV is starkly different from those at vanishing μB∼24 MeV at sNN=200 GeV and higher collision energies.

AB - We report the beam energy and collision centrality dependence of fifth and sixth order cumulants (C5, C6) and factorial cumulants (κ5, κ6) of net-proton and proton number distributions, from center-of-mass energy (sNN) 3 GeV to 200 GeV Au+Au collisions at RHIC. Cumulant ratios of net-proton (taken as proxy for net-baryon) distributions generally follow the hierarchy expected from QCD thermodynamics, except for the case of collisions at 3 GeV. The measured values of C6/C2 for 0%-40% centrality collisions show progressively negative trend with decreasing energy, while it is positive for the lowest energy studied. These observed negative signs are consistent with QCD calculations (for baryon chemical potential, μB≤110 MeV) which contains the crossover transition range. In addition, for energies above 7.7 GeV, the measured proton κn, within uncertainties, does not support the two-component (Poisson+binomial) shape of proton number distributions that would be expected from a first-order phase transition. Taken in combination, the hyperorder proton number fluctuations suggest that the structure of QCD matter at high baryon density, μB∼750 MeV at sNN=3 GeV is starkly different from those at vanishing μB∼24 MeV at sNN=200 GeV and higher collision energies.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85149659741

U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.082301

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.082301

M3 - Article

C2 - 36898098

SN - 0031-9007

VL - 130

JO - Physical Review Letters

JF - Physical Review Letters

IS - 8

M1 - 082301

ER -

Beam Energy Dependence of Fifth- and Sixth-Order Net-Proton Number Fluctuations in Au+Au Collisions at RHIC

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