Investigating the elliptic anisotropy of identified particles in p-Pb collisions with a multi-phase transport model

The elliptic azimuthal anisotropy coefficient(v_(2))of the identified particles at midrapidity(|η|<0.8)was investigated in p-Pb collisions at√s_(NN)=5.02 TeV using a multi-phase transport model(AMPT).The calculations of differential v_(2)based on the advanced flow extraction method of light flavor hadrons(pions,kaons,protons,andΛ)in small collision systems were extended to a wider transverse momentum(p_(T))range of up to 8 GeV/c for the first time.The string-melting version of the AMPT model provides a good description of the measured p_(T)-differential v_(2)of the mesons but exhibits a slight deviation from the baryon v_(2).In addition,we observed the features of mass ordering at low p_(T)and the approximate number-of-constituentquark(NCQ)scaling at intermediate p_(T).Moreover,we demonstrate that hadronic rescattering does not have a significant impact on v_(2)in p-Pb collisions for different centrality selections,whereas partonic scattering dominates in generating the elliptic anisotropy of the final particles.This study provides further insight into the origin of collective-like behavior in small collision systems and has referential value for future measurements of azimuthal anisotropy.

Quenching and flow of charm and bottom quarks via semi-leptonic decay of D and B mesons in Pb+Pb collisions at the LHC

Heavy flavor particles provide important probes of the microscopic structure and thermodynamic properties of the quark-gluon plasma(QGP)produced in high-energy nucleus-nucleus collisions.We studied the energy loss and flow of charm and bottom quarks inside the QGP via the nuclear modification factor(R_(AA))and elliptic flow coefficient(v_(2))of their decayed leptons in heavy-ion collisions at the LHC.The dynamical evolution of the QGP was performed using the CLVisc(3+1)-dimensional viscous hydrodynamics model;the evolution of heavy quarks inside the QGP was simulated with our improved Langevin model that considers both collisional and radiative energy loss of heavy quarks;the hadronization of heavy quarks was simulated via our hybrid coalescence-fragmentation model;and the semi-leptonic decay of D and B mesons was simulated via PYTHIA.Using the same spatial diffusion coefficient for charm and bottom quarks,we obtained smaller R_(AA) and larger v_(2) of charm decayed leptons than bottom decayed leptons,indicating stronger energy loss of charm quarks than bottom quarks inside the QGP within our current model setup.

Low-noise and low-power pixel sensor chip for gas pixel detectors

Topmetal-M2 is a large-area pixel sensor chip fabricated using the GSMC 130 nm CMOS process in 2021.The pixel array of Topmetal-M2 consists of pixels of 400 rows×512 columns with a pixel pitch of 45μm×45μm.The array is divided into 16 subarrays,with pixels of 400 rows×32 columns per subarray.Each pixel incorporates two charge sensors:a diode sensor and a Topmetal sensor.The in-pixel circuit primarily consists of a charge-sensitive amplifier for energy measurements,a discriminator with a peak-holding circuit,and a time-to-amplitude converter for time-of-arrival measurements.The pixel of Topmetal-M2 has a charge input range of~0-3 k e-,a voltage output range of~0-180 mV,and a charge-voltage conversion gain of~59.56μV∕e-.The average equivalent noise charge of Topmetal-M2,which includes the readout electronic system noise,is~43.45 e-.In the scanning mode,the time resolution of Topmetal-M2 is 1 LSB=1.25μs,and the precision is^()7.41μs.At an operating voltage of 1.5 V,Topmetal-M2 has a power consumption of~49 mW∕cm~2.In this article,we provide a comprehensive overview of the chip architecture,pixel working principles,and functional behavior of Topmetal-M2.Furthermore,we present the results of preliminary tests conducted on Topmetal-M2,namely,alpha-particle and soft X-ray tests.

A novel encoding mechanism for particle physics

This study proposes a novel particle encoding mechanism that seamlessly incorporates the quantum properties of particles,with a specific emphasis on constituent quarks.The primary objective of this mechanism is to facilitate the digital registration and identification of a wide range of particle information.Its design ensures easy integration with different event generators and digital simulations commonly used in high-energy experiments.Moreover,this innovative framework can be easily expanded to encode complex multi-quark states comprising up to nine valence quarks and accommodating an angular momentum of up to 99/2.This versatility and scalability make it a valuable tool.

Design and tests of the prototype a beam monitor of the CSR external target experiment

A prototype beam monitor was designed to provide tracking information for heavy-ion projectiles for the cool storage ring(CSR)external target experiment(CEE)at the Heavy Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou(HIRFL).High granularity and direct charge sensing are the main features of this device.It measures the beam position in a two-dimensional(2D)plane transverse to the beam direction on an event-by-event basis.The current design consists of two field cages inside a single vessel that operates independently and has electrical drift fields in orthogonal directions.Preliminary tests of the prototype were performed using a^(241)Am a source.The results show that a spatial resolution of less than 40μm and a time resolution of less than 600 ns can be achieved.

Simulation and photoelectron track reconstruction of soft X-ray polarimeter

The soft X-ray polarimeter(SXP)is a detector with a wide energy range,large area,and large field of view.A SXP will be mounted on the Chinese Space Station and will mainly focus on detecting the polarization of transient soft X-ray(2–10 keV)sources,especially gamma-ray bursts(GRBs).In this work,a polarimeter detector unit is taken as an example,and Geant4 and Garfield++software are used to simulate the detection efficiency and track production.An improved track reconstruction algorithm is proposed and used to reconstruct two-dimensional images of the tracks.In this method,the initial emission angle of photoelectrons is reconstructed from the initial part of the track by shortening or extending the initial part of the track until the remaining track is straight,and the number of pixels is within an adjustable threshold.The modulation factor of the photoelectronic tracks after reconstruction reaches approximately 57%in the photon energy range of 7–10 keV.

Phenomenological study of the anisotropic quark matter in the two-flavor Nambu–Jona–Lasinio model

With the two-flavor Nambu–Jona–Lasinio (NJL) model, we carried out a phenomenological study on the chiral phase structure, mesonic properties, and transport properties of momentum-space anisotropic quark matter. To calculate the transport coefficients we utilized the kinetic theory in the relaxation time approximation, where the momentum anisotropy is embedded in the estimation of both the distribution function and relaxation time. It was shown that an increase in the anisotropy parameterξmay result in a catalysis of chiral symmetry breaking. The critical endpoint(CEP) is shifted to lower temperatures and larger quark chemical potentials asξincreases, and the impact of momentum anisotropy on the CEP temperature is almost the same as that on the quark chemical potential of the CEP. The meson masses and the associated decay widths also exhibit a significant ξ dependence. It was observed that the temperature behavior of the scaled shear viscosity η/T~3 and scaled electrical conductivity σ/T exhibited a similar dip structure, with the minima of both η/T~3 and σ/T shifting toward higher temperatures with increasing ξ. Furthermore,we demonstrated that the Seebeck coefficient S decreases when the temperature rises and its sign is positive, indicating that the dominant carriers for converting the temperature gradient to the electric field are up-quarks. The Seebeck coefficient S is significantly enhanced with a largeξfor a temperature below the critical temperature.

A 5.12-GHz LC-based phase-locked loop for silicon pixel readouts of high-energy physics

There is an urgent need for high-quality and high-frequency clock generators for high-energy physics experiments.The transmission data rate exceeds 10 Gbps for a single channel in future readout electronics of silicon pixel detectors.Others,such as time measurement detectors,require a high time resolution based on the time-to-digital readout architecture.A phase-locked loop(PLL)is an essential and broadly used circuit in these applications.This study presents an application-specific integrated circuit of a low-jitter,low-power LC-tank that is PLL fabricated using 55-nm CMOS technology.It includes a 3rd-order frequency synthesis loop with a programmable bandwidth,a divide-by-2 pre-scaler,standard low-voltage differential signaling interfaces,and a current mode logic(CML)driver for clock transmissions.All the d-flip-flop dividers and phase-frequency detectors are protected from single-event upsets using the triple modular redundancy technique.The proposed VCO uses low-pass filters to suppress the noise from bias circuits.The tested LC-PLL covers a frequency locking range between 4.74 GHz and 5.92 GHz with two sub-bands.The jitter measurements of the frequency-halved clock(2.56 GHz)are less than 460 fs and 0.8 ps for the random and deterministic jitters,respectively,and a total of 7.5 ps peak-to-peak with a bit error rate of 10^(-12).The random and total jitter values for frequencies of 426 MHz and 20 MHz are less than 1.8 ps and 65 ps,respectively.The LC-PLL consumed 27 mW for the core and 73.8 mW in total.The measured results nearly coincided with the simulations and validated the analyses and tests.

High-energy nuclear physics meets machine learning

Although seemingly disparate,high-energy nuclear physics(HENP)and machine learning(ML)have begun to merge in the last few years,yielding interesting results.It is worthy to raise the profile of utilizing this novel mindset from ML in HENP,to help interested readers see the breadth of activities around this intersection.The aim of this mini-review is to inform the community of the current status and present an overview of the application of ML to HENP.From different aspects and using examples,we examine how scientific questions involving HENP can be answered using ML.

Advances in nuclear detection and readout techniques

“A Craftsman Must Sharpen His Tools to Do His Job,”said Confucius.Nuclear detection and readout techniques are the foundation of particle physics,nuclear physics,and particle astrophysics to reveal the nature of the universe.Also,they are being increasingly used in other disciplines like nuclear power generation,life sciences,environmental sciences,medical sciences,etc.The article reviews the short history,recent development,and trend of nuclear detection and readout techniques,covering Semiconductor Detector,Gaseous Detector,Scintillation Detector,Cherenkov Detector,Transition Radiation Detector,and Readout Techniques.By explaining the principle and using examples,we hope to help the interested reader underst and this research field and bring exciting information to the community.

Bayesian analysis of nuclear equation of state at high baryon density

Bayesian analysis was employed to constrain the equation of state(EoS)of nuclear matter with a baryon density of up to six times the nuclear saturation density,using data from heavy-ion collisions at beam energies√S_(NN)=2-10GeV.The resulting EoS excellently agrees with that constrained by astrophysical observations.

Jet Radius and Momentum Splitting Fraction with Dynamical Grooming in Heavy-Ion Collisions

We investigate the medium modifications of momentum splitting fraction and groomed jet radius with both dynamical grooming and soft drop algorithms in heavy-ion collisions.In the calculation,the partonic spectrum of initial hard scattering in p+p collisions is provided by the event generator PYTHIA8,and the energy loss of fast parton traversing in a hot/dense quantum-chromodynamic medium is simulated with the linear Boltzmann transport model.We predict the normalized distributions of the groomed jet radiusθ_(g)and momentum splitting fraction z_(g)with the dynamical grooming algorithm in Pb+Pb collisions at(sNN)~(1/2)=5.02 TeV,then compare these quantities in dynamical grooming at a=0.1,with that in soft drop at z_(out)=0.1 andβ=0.It is found that the normalized distribution ratios Pb+Pb/p+p with respect to z_(g)in z_(cut)=0.1,β=0 soft drop case are close to unity,those in a=0.1 dynamical grooming case show enhancement at small z_(g),and Pb+Pb/p+p with respect toθ_(g)in the dynamical grooming case demonstrate weaker modification than those in the soft drop counterparts.We further calculate the groomed jet number averaged momentum splitting fraction_(jets)and averaged groomed jet radius<θ_(g)>_(jets)in p+p and A+A for both grooming cases in three p_T~(ch jet)intervals,and find that the originally generated well balanced groomed jets will become more momentum imbalanced and jet size less narrowed due to jet quenching,and weaker medium modification of z_(g)andθ_(g)in the a=0.1 dynamical grooming case than in the soft drop counterparts.

Thermodynamic properties at the kinetic freeze-out in the Au + Au and Cu + Cu collisions at the RHIC using the Tsallis distribution

The thermodynamic properties of charged particles,such as the energy density,pressure,entropy density,particle density,and squared speed of sound at the kinetic freeze-out in the Au+Au collisions from the relativistic heavy ion collider (RHIC)beam energy scan program √S_(NN) and in the Cu+Cu collisions at √S_(NN),200 GeV are studied using the thermodynamically consistent Tsallis distribution.The energy density,pressure,and particle density decrease monotonically with the collision energy for the same collision centrality;These properties also decrease monotonically from the central to peripheral collisions at the same collision energy.While the scaled energy densityε∕T^(4) and scaled entropy density s∕T^(3) demonstrate the opposite trend with the collision energy for the same collision centrality.There is a correlation betweenε∕T^(4) and s∕T^(3) at the same centrality.In addition,the squared speed of sound was calculated to determine that all the collision energies share nearly the same value at different collision centralities.

Probing valence quark width of the proton in deeply virtual Compton scattering at high energies

We use the refined hot spot model to study the valence quark shape of the proton with the deeply virtual Compton scattering at high energies in the color glass condensate framework.To investigate the individual valence quark shape,a novel treatment of the valence quark width is employed.We calculate the cross-sections for coherent and incoherent deeply virtual Compton scattering using,for the first time,different widths(Bu and Bd)for the profile density distributions of the up and down quarks instead of using the same width as in the literature.We find that the cross-sections calculated with Bu≥Bd at each collision energy are consistent with each other,which is in agreement with theoretical expectations,whereas those computed with Bu<Bd show some discrepancies.This outcome implies that the up quark might emit more gluons than the down quark,leading to Bu≥Bd at high energy.The impact of energy on the outcome is estimated.Our results show that as the collision energy increases,the aforementioned discrepancies are not only significantly broadened,but also shift to a relatively smaller momentum transfer range at the future Electron-Ion Collider(EIC)and Large Hadron Electron Collider(LHeC)energies,which indicates that the EIC and LHeC can provide an unprecedented chance to access the shape of the valence quark of the proton.

A discussion on the anomalous threshold enhancement of J/ψ–ψ(3770)couplings and X(6900)peak

The attractive interaction between J/ψandψ(3770)has to be strong enough if X(6900)is of the molecule type.We argue that sinceψ(3770)decays predominantly into a DD^(¯)pair,the interactions between J/ψandψ(3770)may be significantly enhanced owing to the three point DD^(¯)loop diagram.The enhancement originates from the anomalous threshold located at t=−1.288 GeV^(2),whose effect propagates into the s-channel partial wave amplitude in the vicinity of √s≃6.94 GeV.This effect may be helpful in the formation of the X(6900)peak.

Gas microchannel plate-pixel detector for X-ray polarimetry

POLAR-2 is a gamma-ray burst(GRB)polarimeter that is designed to study the polarization in GRB radiation emissions,aiming to improve our knowledge of related mechanisms.POLAR-2 is expected to utilize an on-board polarimeter that is sensitive to soft X-rays(2-10 keV),called low-energy polarization detector.We have developed a new soft X-ray polari-zation detector prototype based on gas microchannel plates(GMCPs)and pixel chips(Topmetal).The GMCPs have bulk resistance,which prevents charging-up effects and ensures gain stability during operation.The detector is composed of low outgassing materials and is gas-sealed using a laser welding technique,ensuring long-term stability.A modulation factor of 41.28%±0.64% is obtained for a 4.5 keV polarized X-ray beam.A residual modulation of 1.96%±0.58% at 5.9 keV is observed for the entire sensitive area.

Effective(kinetic freeze-out) temperature, transverse flow velocity, and kinetic freeze-out volume in high energy collisions

The transverse momentum spectra of different types of particles produced in central and peripheral gold–gold(Au–Au)and inelastic proton–proton(pp)collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider,as well as in central and peripheral lead-lead(Pb–Pb)and pp collisions at the Large Hadron Collider,are analyzed by the multi-component standard(Boltzmann–Gibbs,Fermi–Dirac,and Bose–Einstein)distributions.The obtained results from the standard distribution give an approximate agreement with the measured experimental data by the STAR,PHENIX,and ALICE Collaborations.The behavior of the effective(kinetic freeze-out)temperature,transverse flow velocity,and kinetic freeze-out volume for particles with different masses is obtained,which observes the early kinetic freezeout of heavier particles as compared to the lighter particles.The parameters of emissions of different particles are observed to be different,which reveals a direct signature of the mass-dependent differential kinetic freeze-out.It is also observed that the peripheral nucleus–nucleus(AA)and pp collisions at the same center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair are in good agreement in terms of the extracted parameters.

Phase Transition Study Meets Machine Learning

In recent years, machine learning(ML) techniques have emerged as powerful tools for studying many-body complex systems, and encompassing phase transitions in various domains of physics. This mini review provides a concise yet comprehensive examination of the advancements achieved in applying ML to investigate phase transitions, with a primary focus on those involved in nuclear matter studies.

Event plane determination from the zero degree calorimeter at the cooling storage ring external-target experiment

The Cooling Storage Ring external-target experiment(CEE)spectrometer is used to study the nuclear matter created in heavy-ion collisions at√sNN=2.1-2.4 GeV with the aim to reveal the quantum chromodynamics phase structure in the high-baryon-density region.Collective flow is considered an effective probe for evaluating the properties of media during high-energy nuclear collisions.One of the main functions of the zero-degree calorimeter(ZDC),a subdetector system in the CEE,is to determine the reaction plane in heavy-ion collisions.This step is crucial for measuring the collective flow and other reaction-plane-related analyses.In this paper,we illustrate the procedures for event plane determination using the ZDC.Finally,isospin-dependent quantum molecular dynamics model-based predictions of the rapidity dependence of the directed and elliptical flows for p,d,t,3He,and 4He,produced in 2.1 GeV U+U collisions,are presented.

Hydrodynamic simulations of directed flow for light hadrons in Au+Au and isobarcollisions at √SNN=200 GeV

Using a(3+1)-D hydrodynamic model,CLVisc,we study the directed flow(vi)of light hadrons pro-duced in Au+Au,Ru+Ru,and Zr+Zr collisions at √SNN=200 GeV.The evolution of tilted energy density,pres-sure gradient,and radial flow along the x-direction is systematically investigated.The counter-clockwise tilt of the initial fireball is shown to be a vital source of directed flow for final light hadrons.A good description of directed flow is provided for light hadrons in central and mid-central Au+Au and isobar collisions at the RHIC.Our numeric-al results show a clear system size dependence for light hadron Vi across different collision systems.We further study the effect of nuclear structure on the directed flow and find that v1 for light hadrons is insensitive to nuclei with quadrupole deformation.