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A generalized Lagrangian for the description of hadronic matter based on the linear SU(3)L × SU(3)R -model is proposed. Besides the baryon octet, the spin-0 and spin-1 nonets, a gluon condensate associated with broken scale invariance is incorporated. The observed values for the vacuum masses of the baryons and mesons are reproduced. In mean-field approximation, vector and scalar interactions yield a saturating nuclear equation of state. We discuss the di culties and possibilities to construct a chiral invariant baryon-meson interaction that leads to a realistic equation of state. It is found that a coupling of the strange condensate to nucleons is needed to describe the hyperon potentials correctly. The effective baryon masses and the appearance of an abnormal phase of nearly massless nucleons at high densities are examined. A nonlinear realization of chiral symmetry is considered, to retain a Yukawa-type baryon-meson interaction and to establish a connection to the Walecka-model.
Abstract. A generalized Lagrangian for the description of hadronic matter based on the linear SU(3)L × SU(3)R -model is proposed. Besides the baryon octet, the spin-0 and spin-1 nonets, a gluon condensate associated with broken scale invariance is incorporated. The observed values for the vacuum masses of the baryons and mesons are reproduced. In mean-field approximation, vector and scalar interactions yield a saturating nuclear equation of state. Finite nuclei can be reasonably described, too. The condensates and the e ective baryon masses at finite baryon density and temperature are discussed.
Artificial drainage of agricultural land, for example with ditches or drainage tubes, is used to avoid water logging and to manage high groundwater tables. Among other impacts it influences the nutrient balances by increasing leaching losses and by decreasing denitrification. To simulate terrestrial transport of nitrogen on the global scale, a digital global map of artificially drained agricultural areas was developed. The map depicts the percentage of each 5’ by 5’ grid cell that is equipped for artificial drainage. Information on artificial drainage in countries or sub-national units was mainly derived from international inventories. Distribution to grid cells was based, for most countries, on the "Global Croplands Dataset" of Ramankutty et al. (1998) and the "Digital Global Map of Irrigation Areas" of Siebert et al. (2005). For some European countries the CORINE land cover dataset was used instead of the both datasets mentioned above. Maps with outlines of artificially drained areas were available for 6 countries. The global drainage area on the map is 167 Mio hectares. For only 11 out of the 116 countries with information on artificial drainage areas, sub-national information could be taken into account. Due to this coarse spatial resolution of the data sources, we recommended to use the map of artificially drained areas only for continental to global scale assessments. This documentation describes the dataset, the data sources and the map generation, and it discusses the data uncertainty.
The deconfinement transition region between hadronic matter and quark-gluon plasma is studied for finite volumes. Assuming simple model equations of state and a first order phase transition, we find that fluctuations in finite volumes hinder a sharp separation between the two phases around the critical temperature, leading to a rounding of the phase transition. For reaction volumes expected in heavy ion experiments, the softening of the equation of state is reduced considerably. This is especially true when the requirement of exact color-singletness is included in the QGP equation of state.
A self-consistent relativistic integral-di erential equation of the Boltzmann- Uehling-Uhlenbeck-type for the N*(1440) resonance is developed based on an effective Lagrangian of baryons interacting through mesons. The closed time-path Green s function technique and semi-classical, quasi-particle and Born approxima- tions are employed in the derivation. The non-equilibrium RBUU-type equation for the N*(1440) is consistent with that of nucleon s and delta s which we derived before. Thus, we obtain a set of coupled equations for the N,Delta and N*(1440) distribution functions. All the N (1440)-relevant in-medium two-body scattering cross sections within the N,Delta and N*(1440) system are derived from the same effective Lagrangian in addition to the mean field and presented analytically, which can be directly used in the study of relativistic heavy-ion collisions. The theoreticalprediction of the free pp - pp* (1440) cross section is in good agreement with the experimental data. We calculate the in-medium N+N - N+N* , N* +N - N+N and N*+N - N* +N cross sections in cold nuclear matter up to twice the nuclear matter density. The influence of different choices of the N* N* coupling strengths, which can not be obtained through fitting certain experimental data, are discussed. The results show that the density dependence of predicted in-medium cross sections are sensitive to the N* N* coupling strengths used. An evident density dependence will appear when a large scalar coupling strength of g^(sigma) N*N* is assumed. PACS number(s): 24.10.Cn; 25.70.-z; 21.65.+f
We find that on average consumers chose the contract that ex post minimized their net costs. A substantial fraction of consumers (about 40%) still chose the ex post sub-optimal contract, with some incurring hundreds of dollars of avoidable interest costs. Nonetheless, the probability of choosing the sub-optimal contract declines with the dollar magnitude of the potential error, and consumers with larger errors were more likely to subsequently switch to the optimal contract. Thus most of the errors appear not to have been very costly, with the exception that a small minority of consumers persists in holding substantially sub-optimal contracts without switching. Klassifikation: G11, G21, E21, E51
Using a set of regional inflation rates we examine the dynamics of inflation dispersion within the U.S.A., Japan and across U.S. and Canadian regions. We find that inflation rate dispersion is significant throughout the sample period in all three samples. Based on methods applied in the empirical growth literature, we provide evidence in favor of significant mean reversion (ß-convergence) in inflation rates in all considered samples. The evidence on ó-convergence is mixed, however. Observed declines in dispersion are usually associated with decreasing overall inflation levels which indicates a positive relationship between mean inflation and overall inflation rate dispersion. Our findings for the within-distribution dynamics of regional inflation rates show that dynamics are largest for Japanese prefectures, followed by U.S. metropolitan areas. For the combined U.S.-Canadian sample, we find a pattern of within-distribution dynamics that is comparable to that found for regions within the European Monetary Union (EMU). In line with findings in the so-called 'border literature' these results suggest that frictions across European markets are at least as large as they are, e.g., across North American markets. Klassifikation: E31, E52, E58
Using a unique data set of regional inflation rates we are examining the extent and dynamics of inflation dispersion in major EMU countries before and after the introduction of the euro. For both periods, we find strong evidence in favor of mean reversion (ß-convergence) in inflation rates. However, half-lives to convergence are considerable and seem to have increased after 1999. The results indicate that the convergence process is nonlinear in the sense that its speed becomes smaller the further convergence has proceeded. An examination of the dynamics of overall inflation dispersion (ó-convergence) shows that there has been a decline in dispersion in the first half of the 1990s. For the second half of the 1990s, no further decline can be observed. At the end of the sample period, dispersion has even increased. The existence of large persistence in European inflation rates is confirmed when distribution dynamics methodology is applied. At the end of the paper we present evidence for the sustainability of the ECB's inflation target of an EMU-wide average inflation rate of less than but close to 2%. Klassifikation: E31, E52, E58
The paper documents lack of awareness of financial assets in the 1995 and 1998 Bank of Italy Surveys of Household Income and Wealth. It then explores the determinants of awareness, and finds that the probability that survey respondents are aware of stocks, mutual funds and investment accounts is positively correlated with education, household resources, long-term bank relations and proxies for social interaction. Lack of financial awareness has important implications for understanding the stockholding puzzle and for estimating stock market participation costs. Klassifikation: E2, D8, G1
The theory of intertemporal consumption choice makes sharp predictions about the evolution of the entire distribution of household consumption, not just about its conditional mean. In the paper, we study the empirical transition matrix of consumption using a panel drawn from the Bank of Italy Survey of Household Income and Wealth. We estimate the parameters that minimize the distance between the empirical and the theoretical transition matrix of the consumption distribution. The transition matrix generated by our estimates matches remarkably well the empirical matrix, both in the aggregate and in samples stratified by education. Our estimates strongly reject the consumption insurance model and suggest that households smooth income shocks to a lesser extent than implied by the permanent income hypothesis. Klassifikation: D52, D91, I30
Trusting the stock market
(2005)
We provide a new explanation to the limited stock market participation puzzle. In deciding whether to buy stocks, investors factor in the risk of being cheated. The perception of this risk is a function not only of the objective characteristics of the stock, but also of the subjective characteristics of the investor. Less trusting individuals are less likely to buy stock and, conditional on buying stock, they will buy less. The calibration of the model shows that this problem is sufficiently severe to account for the lack of participation of some of the richest investors in the United States as well as for differences in the rate of participation across countries. We also find evidence consistent with these propositions in Dutch and Italian micro data, as well as in cross country data. Klassifikation: D1, D8
Credit card debt puzzles
(2005)
Most US credit card holders revolve high-interest debt, often combined with substantial (i) asset accumulation by retirement, and (ii) low-rate liquid assets. Hyperbolic discounting can resolve only the former puzzle (Laibson et al., 2003). Bertaut and Haliassos (2002) proposed an 'accountant-shopper' framework for the latter. The current paper builds, solves, and simulates a fully-specified accountant-shopper model, to show that this framework can actually generate both types of co-existence, as well as target credit card utilization rates consistent with Gross and Souleles (2002). The benchmark model is compared to setups without self-control problems, with alternative mechanisms, and with impatient but fully rational shoppers. Klassifikation: E210, G110
Some have argued that recent increases in credit risk transfer are desirable because they improve the diversification of risk. Others have suggested that they may be undesirable if they increase the risk of financial crises. Using a model with banking and insurance sectors, we show that credit risk transfer can be beneficial when banks face uniform demand for liquidity. However, when they face idiosyncratic liquidity risk and hedge this risk in an interbank market, credit risk transfer can be detrimental to welfare. It can lead to contagion between the two sectors and increase the risk of crises. Klassifikation: G21, G22
How do markets spread risk when events are unknown or unknowable and where not anticipated in an insurance contract? While the policyholder can "hold up" the insurer for extra contractual payments, the continuing gains from trade on a single contract are often too small to yield useful coverage. By acting as a repository of the reputations of the parties, we show the brokers provide a coordinating mechanism to leverage the collective hold up power of policyholders. This extends both the degree of implicit and explicit coverage. The role is reflected in the terms of broker engagement, specifically in the ownership by the broker of the renewal rights. Finally, we argue that brokers can be motivated to play this role when they receive commissions that are contingent on insurer profits. This last feature questions a recent, well publicized, attack on broker compensation by New York attorney general, Elliot Spitzer. Klassifikation: G22, G24, L14
Biophysical investigation of the ligand-induced assembling of the human type I interferon receptor
(2005)
Type I interferons (IFNs) elicit antiviral, antiproliferative and immunmodulatory responses through binding to a shared receptor consisting of the transmembrane proteins ifnar1 and ifnar2. Differential signaling by different interferons – in particular IFNalpha´s and IFNbeta – suggest different modes of receptor engagement. In this work either single ligand-receptor interactions or the formation of the extracellular part of a signaling complex were investigated referring to thermodynamics, kinetics, stoichiometry and structural organization. Initially an expression and purification strategy for the extracellular domain of ifnar1 (ifnar1-EC) using Sf9 insect cells yielding in mg amounts of glycosylated protein was established. Using reflectometric interference spectroscopy (RIfS) the interactions between IFNalpha2/beta and ifnar1-EC and ifnar2-EC was studied in order to understand the individual energetic contributions within the ternary complex. For IFNalpha2 a Kd of 5 µM for the interaction with ifnar1-EC was determined. Substantially tighter binding of IFNbeta with both ifnar2-EC and ifnar1-EC compared to IFNalpha2 was observed. For neither IFNalpha2 nor IFNbeta stabilization of the complex with ifnar1-EC in presence of soluble ifnar2-EC was detectable. In addition, no direct interaction between ifnar2 and ifnar1 was could be shown. Thus, stem-stem interactions between the extracellular domains of ifnar1 and ifnar2 do not seem to play a role for ternary complex formation. Furthermore, ligand-induced cross-talk between ifnar1-EC and ifnar2-EC being tethered onto solid-supported, fluid lipid bilayers was investigated by RIfS and total internal reflection fluorescence spectroscopy. A very stable binding of IFNalpha2 at high receptor surface concentrations was observed with an apparent kd approximately 200-times lower than for ifnar2-EC alone. This apparent kd was strongly dependent on the surface concentration of the receptor components, suggesting kinetic rather than static stabilization, which was corroborated by competition experiments. These results indicate that signaling is activated by transient cross-talk between ifnar1 and ifnar2, which is by several orders of magnitude more efficiently engaged by IFNbeta than by IFNalpha2. With respect to differential recognition of different IFNs ifnar1-EC was dissected into sub-fragments containing different of the four Ig-like domains. The appropriate folding and glycosylation of these proteins, also purified in mg amounts were confirmed by SDS-PAGE, size exclusion chromatography and CD-spectroscopy. Surprisingly, only one construct containing all three N-terminal Ig-like domains was active in terms of ligand binding, indicating that these domains were required. Competitive binding of IFNalpha2 and IFNbeta to both this fragment and ifnar1-EC was demonstrated. Cellular binding assays with different fragments, however, highlight the key role of the membrane-proximal Ig-like domain for the formation of an in situ IFN-receptor complex and the ensuing signal activation. Even substitution with Ig-like domains from homologous cytokine receptors did not restore high-affinity ligand binding. Receptor assembling analysis on supported lipid bilayer revealed that appropriate orientation of the receptor is required, which is controlled by the membrane-proximal Ig-domain. All results indicate that differential signalling is encoded by the efficiency of signalling complex formation, which is controlled by the binding affinity of IFNs to the extracellular domains of ifnar1 and 2.
Preliminary experimental data for particle number ratios in the collisions of Au+Au at the BNL AGS (11A GeV/c) and Pb+Pb at the CERN SPS (160A GeV/c) are analyzed in a thermodynamically consistent hadron gas model with excluded volume. Large values of temperature, T = 140 185 MeV, and baryonic chemical potential, µb = 590 270 MeV, close to the boundary of the quark-gluon plasma phase are found from fitting the data. This seems to indicate that the energy density at the chemical freezeout is tremendous which would be indeed the case for the point-like hadrons. However, a self-consistent treatment of the van der Waals excluded volume reveals much smaller energy densities which are very far below a lowest limit estimate of the quark-gluon plasma energy density. PACS number(s): 25.75.-q, 24.10.Pa
We study the bremsstrahlung of virtual omega mesons due to the collective deceleration of nuclei at the initial stage of an ultrarelativistic heavy ion collision. It is shown that electromagnetic decays of these mesons may give an important contribution to the observed yields of dileptons. Mass spectra of e+e and µ+µ pairs produced in central Au+Au collisions are calculated under some simplifying assumptions on the space time variation of the baryonic current in a nuclear collision process. Comparison with the CERES data for 160 AGev Pb+Au collisions shows that the proposed mechanism gives a noticeable fraction of the observed e+e pairs in the intermediate region of invariant masses. Sensi tivity of the dilepton yield to the in medium modification of masses and widths of vector mesons is demonstrated.
Collective bremsstrahlung of vector meson fields in relativistic nuclear collisions is studied within the time dependent Walecka model. Mutual deceleration of the colliding nuclei is described by introducing the e ective stopping time and average rapidity loss of baryons. It is shown that electromagnetic decays of virtual ω mesons produced by bremsstrahlung mechanism can provide a substantial contribution to the soft dilepton yield at the SPS bombarding energies. In particular, it may be responsible for the dilepton enhancement observed in 160 AGev central Pb+Au collisions. Suggestions for future experiments to estimate the relative contribution of the collective mechanism are given.
Dielectron mass spectra are examined for various nuclear reactions recently measured by the DLS collaboration. A detailed description is given of all dilepton channels included in the transport model UrQMD 1.0, i.e. Dalitz decays of π, η, ω, ή mesons and of the (1232) resonance, direct decays of vector mesons and pn bremsstrahlung. The microscopic calculations reproduce data for light systems fairly well, but tend to underestimate the data in pp at high energies and in pd at low energies. These conventional sources, however, cannot explain the recently reported enhancement for nucleus-nucleus collisions in the mass region 0.15GeV ≤ Me+e- ≤ 0.6GeV. Chiral scaling and ω meson broadening in the medium are investigated as a source of this mass excess. They also cannot explain the recent DLS data.
The transverse momentum distribution of prompt photons coming from the very early phase of ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions for the RHIC and LHC energies is calculated by means of perturbative QCD. We calculate the single photon cross section (A + B -> gamma + X) by taking into account the partonic sub processes q + q -> gamma + g and q + g -> gamma + q as well as the Bremsstrahlung corrections to those processes. We choose a lower momentum cut-off k0 = 2 GeV separating the soft physics from perturbative QCD. We compare the results for those primary collisions with the photons produced in reactions of the thermalized secondary particles, which are calculated within scaling hydrodynamics. The QCD processes are taken in leading order. Nuclear shadowing corrections, which alter the involved nuclear structure functions are explicitly taken into account and compared to unshadowed results. Employing the GRV parton distribution parametrizations we find that at RHIC prompt QCD-photons dominate over the thermal radiation down to transverse momenta kT ≈ 2 GeV. At LHC, however, thermal radiation from the QGP dominates for photon transverse momenta kT ≤ 5 GeV, if nuclear shadowing effects on prompt photon production are taken into account.
Direct photon production in central Pb+Pb collisions at CERN-SPS energy is calculated within the relativistic microscopic transport model UrQMD, and within distinctly di erent versions of relativistic hydrodynamics. We find that in UrQMD the local momentum distributions of the secondaries are strongly elongated along the beam axis initially. Therefore, the preequilibrium contribution dominates the photon spectrum at transverse momenta above H 1.5 GeV. The hydrodynamics prediction of a strong correlation between the temperature and radial expansion velocities on the one hand and the slope of the transverse momentum distribution of direct photons on the other hand thus is not recovered in UrQMD. The rapidity distribution of direct photons in UrQMD reveals that the initial conditions for the longitudinal expansion of the photon source (the meson fluid ) resemble rather boostinvariance than Landau-like flow.
A self-consistent relativistic Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck equation for the N (1440) resonance is developed based on an effective Lagrangian of baryons interacting through mesons. The equation is consistent with that of nucleon s and delta s which we derived before. Thus, we obtain a set of coupled equations for the N, Delta and N (1440) distribution functions. All the N (1440)-relevant in-medium two-body scattering cross sections within the N, Delta and N (1440) system are derived from the same effective Lagrangian in addition to the mean field and presented analytically. Medium effects on the cross sections are discussed.
Here I analyse 23 populations of D. galeata, a large-lake cladoceran, distributed mainly across the Palaearctic. I detected high levels of clonal diversity and population differentiation using variation at six microsatellite loci across Europe. Most populations were characterised by deviations from H-W equilibrium and significant heterozygote deficiencies. Observed heterozygote deficiencies might be a consequence of simultaneous hatching of individuals produced during different times of the year or of the coexistence of ecologically and genetically differentiated subpopulations. A significant isolation by distance was only found over large geographic distances (> 700 km). This pattern is mainly due to the high genetic differentiation among neighbouring populations. My results suggest that historic populations of Daphnia were once interconnected by gene flow but current populations are now largely isolated. Thus local ecological conditions which determine the level of biparental sexual reproduction and local adaptation are the main factors mediating population structure of D. galeata. The population genetic structure and diversity in D. galeata was investigated at a European scale using six microsatellite loci and 12S rDNA sequence data to infer and compare historical and contemporary patterns of gene flow. D. galeata has the potential for long-distance dispersal via ephippial resting eggs by wind and other dispersing vectors (waterfowl), but shows in general strong population differentiation even among neighbouring populations. A total of 427 individuals were analysed for microsatellite and 85 individuals for mitochondrial (mtDNA) sequence data from 12 populations across Europe. I detected genetic differentiation among populations across Europe and locations within sampling regions for both genetic marker systems (average values: mtDNA FST = 0.574; microsatellite FST = 0.389), resulting in a lack of isolation by distance. Furthermore, several microsatellite alleles and one haplotype were shared across populations. Partitioning of molecular variance was inconsistant for both marker systems. Microsatellite variation was higher within than among populations, whereas mtDNA data yielded an inverse pattern. Relative high levels of nuclear DNA diversity were found across Europe. The amount of mitochondrial diversity was low in Spain, Hungary and Denmark. Gene flow analysis at a European scale did not reveal typical pattern of population recolonization in the light of postglacial colonization hypotheses. Populations, which recently experienced an expansion or population-bottleneck were observed both in middle and northern Europe. Since these populations revealed high genetic diversity in both marker systems, I suggest these areas to represent postglacial zones of secondary contact among divergent lineages of D. galeata. In order to reveal the relationship between population genetic structure of D. galeata and the relative contribution of environmental factors, I used a statistical framework based on canonical correspondence analysis. Although I detected no single ecological gradient mediating the genetic differentiation in either lake regions, it is noteworthy that the same ecological factors were significantly correlated with intra- and interspecific genetic variation of D. galeata. For example, I found a relationship between genetic variation of D. galeata and differentiation with higher and lower trophic levels (phytoplankton, submerged macrophytes and fish) and a relationship between clonal variation and species diversity within Cladocera. Variance partitioning had only a minor contribution of each environmental category (abiotic, biomass/density and diversity) to genetic diversity of D. galeata, while the largest proportion of variation was explained by shared components. My work illustrates the important role of ecological differentiation and adaptation in structuring genetic variation, and it highlights the need for approaches incorporating a landscape context for population divergence.
We derive the self-consistent relativistic quantum transport equation for the pion distribution function based on an effective Lagrangian of the QHD-II model. The closed time-path Green's function technique, the semi-classical, quasi-particle and Born approximation are employed in the derivation. Both the mean field and collision term are derived from the same Lagrangian and presented analytically. The dynamical equation for the pions is consistent with that for the nucleons and deltas which we developed before. Thus, we obtain a self-consistent relativistic transport model which describes the hadronic matter with N, Delta and pi degrees of freedom simultaneously. Within this approach, we investigate the medium effects on the pion dispersion relation as well as the pion absorption and pion production channels in cold nuclear matter. In contrast to the results of the non-relativistic model, the pion dispersion relation becomes harder at low momenta and softer at high momenta as compared to the free one. The theoretically predicted free pi N to Delta cross section is in agreement with the experimental data. Medium effects on the pi N to Delta cross section and momentum-dependent Delta-decay width are shown to be substantial.
Relativistic quantum transport theory of hadronic matter: the coupled nucleon, delta and pion system
(1998)
We derive the relativistic quantum transport equation for the pion distribution function based on an effective Lagrangian of the QHD-II model. The closed time-path Green s function technique, the semi-classical, quasiparticle and Born approximation are employed in the derivation. Both the mean field and collision term are derived from the same Lagrangian and presented analytically. The dynamical equation for the pions is consistent with that for the nucleons and deltas which we developed before. Thus, we obtain a relativistic transport model which describes the hadronic matter with N,Delta and pi degrees of freedom simultaneously. Within this approach, we investigate the medium e ects on the pion dispersion relation as well as the pion absorption and pion production channels in cold nuclear matter. In contrast to the results of the non-relativistic model, the pion dispersion relation becomes harder at low momenta and softer at high momenta as compared to the free one, which is mainly caused by the relativistic kinetics. The theoretically predicted free pi*N -> Delta cross section is in agreement with the experimental data. Medium e ects on the pi*N -> Delta cross section and momentum-dependent Delta-decay width are shown to be substantial. PACS number(s): 24.10.Cn; 13.75.Cs; 21.65.+f; 25.70.-z
The hard contributions to the heavy quarkonium-nucleon cross sections are calculated based on the QCD factorization theorem and the nonrelativistic quarkonium model. We evaluate the nonperturbative part of these cross sections which dominates at psNN 20 GeV at the Cern Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) and becomes a correction at psNN 6 TeV at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC). J/psi production at the CERN SPS is well described by hard QCD, when the larger absorption cross sections of the states predicted by QCD are taken into account. We predict an A-dependent polarization of the states. The expansion of small wave packets is discussed.
We perform an event-by-event analysis of the transverse momentum distribution of final state particles in central Pb(160AGeV)+Pb collisions within a microscopic non-equilibrium transport model (UrQMD). Strong influence of rescattering is found. The extracted momentum distributions show less fluctuations in A+A collisions than in p+p reactions. This is in contrast to simplified p+p extrapolations and random walk models.
Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Charakterisierung des ALTRO Chips (ALICE TPC Readout), der ein integraler und wichtiger Bestandteil der Auslesekette des TPC (Time Projection Chamber) Detektors von ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment) ist. ALICE ist ein Experiment am noch im Bau befindlichen LHC (Large Hadron Collider) am CERN mit der zentralen Ausrichtung, Schwerionenkollisionen zu untersuchen. Diese sind von besonderem Interesse, da durch sie ein experimenteller Zugriff zu dem QGP (Quark Gluon Plasma) existiert, dem einzigen vom Standardmodell vorhergesagten Phasenübergang, der unter Laborbedingungen erreichbar ist. Im Jahr 2004 wurden Messungen an einem Teststrahl am CERN PS (Proton Synchrotron) durchgeführt. Der Prototyp wurde voll mit FECs bestückt, was 5400 Kanälen entspricht und einer anderen Gasmixtur (Ne/N2/CO2 90%/5%/5%) befüllt. Für das optimale Leistungsverhalten der ALICE TPC muß der Digitalprozessor im ALTRO, bestehend aus vier Berechnungseinheiten, mit den passenden Werten konfiguriert werden. Der Datenfluss beginnt mit dem BCS1 (Baseline Correction and Subtraction 1) Modul, das systematische Störungen und die Grundlinie entfernt. Da der ALTRO kontinuierlich das anliegende Signal abtastet, entfernt es automatisch langsame Grundlinienveränderungen, die Beispielsweise durch Temperaturänderungen auftreten können. Gefolgt von dem TCF (Tail Cancellation Filter), der den Schweif des langsam fallenden, vom PASA generierten Signals entfernt. Um die nichtsystematischen Störungen der Grundlinie zu entfernen, folgt die BCS2 (Baseline Correction and Subtraction 2), die auf einer gleitenden Mittelwertsberechnung mit Ausschluß von Detektorsignalen über einen doppelten Schwellenwert basiert. Die finale Einheit für die Signalverarbeitung ist die ZSU (Zero Suppression Unit), die Meßpunkte unterhalb eines definierten Schwellwertes entfernt. Hier wird der weg beschrieben die TCF und BCS1 Parameter aus vorhandenen Detektordaten zu extrahieren. Während der Analyse der Daten von kosmischen Teilchen fiel bei Signalen mit hoher Amplitude (>700 ADC) eine zusätzliche Struktur in dem Schweif auf. Der Monitor wurde deswegen mit einem gleitenden Mittelwertfilter erweitert, worauf sich diese Struktur auch in kleineren Signalen (> 200 ADC) zeigte. Dieses Signal wird von Ionen erzeugt, die zur Kathode oder zu den Pads driften, bisher ist jedoch weder die Streuung der Elektronenlawine an der Anode, noch die Variationsbreite in den erzeugten Elektronlawinen verstanden oder gemessen worden. Eine erfolgreiche Messung, sowie Charakterisierung wird in dieser Arbeit beschrieben. Im Jahr 2005 im Sommer beginnt der Einbau der Gaskammern der TPC in ALICE, die Elektronik folgt am Ende dieses Jahres. Parallel hierzu wurde der Prototyp der TPC wieder in Betrieb genommen und im Frühling wird ein kompletter Sektor mit der Detektorelektronik ausgestattet. An diesen zwei Aufbauten wird die ALTRO Charakterisierung fortgeführt, verfeinert und komplettiert.
We reexamine the scenario of homogeneous nucleation of the quark-gluon plasma produced in ultra-relativistic heavy ion collisions. A generalization of the standard nucleation theory to rapidly expanding system is proposed. The nucleation rate is derived via the new scaling parameter Z. It is shown that the size distribution of hadronic clusters plays an important role in the dynamics of the phase transition. The longitudinally expanding system is supercooled to about 3 6%, then it is reheated, and the hadronization is completed within 6 10 fm/c, i.e. 5 10 times faster than it was estimated earlier, in a strongly nonequilibrium way. PACS: 12.38.Mh; 12.39.Ba; 25.75.-q; 64.60.Qb
Nuclei can be described satisfactorily in a nonlinear chiral SU(3)-framework, even with standard potentials of the linearmodel. The condensate value of the strange scalar meson is found to be important for the properties of nuclei even without adding hyperons. By neglecting terms which couple the strange to the nonstrange condensate one can reduce the model to a Walecka model structure embedded in SU(3). We discuss inherent problems with chiral SU(3) models regarding hyperon optical potentials.
A new chiral SU(3) Lagrangian is proposed to describe the properties of kaons and antikaons in the nuclear medium, the ground state of dense matter and the kaon-nuclear interactions consistently. The saturation properties of nuclear matter are reproduced as well as the results of the Dirac-Brückner theory. After taking into account the coupling between the omega meson and the kaon, we obtain similar results for the e ective kaon and antikaon energies as calculated in the one-boson-exchange model while in our model the parameters of the kaon-nuclear interactions are constrained by the SU(3) chiral symmetry. PACS number(s): 14.40.Aq, 12.39.Fe, 21.30.Fe
We study the effects of strict conservation laws and the problem of negative contributions to final momentum distribution during the freeze out through 3-dimensional hypersurfaces with space-like normal. We study some suggested solutions for this problem, and demonstrate it on one example. PACS: 24.10.Nz, 25.75.-q
The extend to which geometrical effects contribute to the production and suppression of the J/psi and qq minijet pairs in general is investigated for high energy heavy ion collisions at SPS, RHIC and LHC energies. For the energy range under investigation, the geometrical e ects referred to are shadowing and anti-shadowing, respectively. Due to those effects, the parton distributions in nuclei deviate from the naive extrapolation from the free nucleon result; fA 6= AfN. The strength of the shadowing/anti-shadowing e ect increases with the mass number. Therefore it is interesting to see the di erence between cross sections for e.g. S+U vs. Pb+Pb at SPS. The recent NA50 results for the survival probability of produced J/psi s has attracted great attention and are often interpreted as a signature of a quark gluon plasma. This publication will present a fresh look on hard QCD e ects for the charmonium production level. It is shown that the apparent suppression of J/psi s must also be linked to the production process. Due to the uncertainty in the shadowing of gluons the suppression of charmonium states might not give reli- able information on a created plasma phase at the collider energies soon available. The consequences of shadowing e ects for the xF distribution of J/psi s at s = 20 GeV, s = 200 GeV and s = 6 TeV are calculated for some relevant combinations of nuclei, as well as the pT distribution of minijets at midrapidity for Nf = 4 in the final state.
In fluid dynamical models the freeze out of particles across a three dimensional space-time hypersurface is discussed. The calculation of final momentum distribution of emitted particles is described for freeze out surfaces, with both space-like and time-like normals, taking into account conservation laws across the freeze out discontinuity.
We estimate the energy density epsilon pile-up at mid-rapidity in central Pb+Pb collisions from 2 200 GeV/nucleon. epsilon is decomposed into hadronic and partonic contributions. A detailed analysis of the collision dynamics in the framework of a microscopic transport model shows the importance of partonic degrees of freedom and rescattering of leading (di)quarks in the early phase of the reaction for Elab 30 GeV/nucleon. In Pb+Pb collisions at 160 GeV/nucleon the energy density reaches up to 4 GeV/fm3, 95% of which are contained in partonic degrees of freedom.
A new chiral SU(3) Lagrangian is proposed to describe the properties of kaons and anti-kaons in the nuclear medium. The saturation properties of nuclear matter are reproduced as well as the results of the Dirac-Brückner theory. After introducing the coupling between the omega meson and the kaon, our results for e ective kaon and anti-kaon energy are quite similar as calculated in the one-boson-exchange model.
The modification of the width of rho mesons due to in-medium decays and collisions is evaluated. The decay width is calculated from the imaginary part of the one-loop selfenergy at finite temperature. The collision width is related to the cross sections of the rho + pion and the rho + nucleon reactions. A calculation based on an e ective Lagrangian shows the importance of including the direct pho pi - > pho pi scattering which is dominated by the a1 exchange. A large broadening of the spectral function is found, accompanied by a strength suppression at the pole. http://www.arxiv.org/abs/nucl-th/9812059
Dissociation rates of J / psi's with comoving mesons : thermal versus nonequilibrium scenario.
(1998)
We study J/psi dissociation processes in hadronic environments. The validity of a thermal meson gas ansatz is tested by confronting it with an alternative, nonequilibrium scenario. Heavy ion collisions are simulated in the frame- work of the microscopic transport model UrQMD, taking into account the production of charmonium states through hard parton-parton interactions and subsequent rescattering with hadrons. The thermal gas and microscopic transport scenarios are shown to be very dissimilar. Estimates of J/psi survival probabilities based on thermal models of comover interactions in heavy ion collisions are therefore not reliable.
We calculate the shadowing of sea quarks and gluons and show that the shadowing of gluons is not simply given by the sea quark shadowing, especially at small x. The calculations are done in the lab frame approach by using the generalized vector meson dominance model. Here the virtual photon turns into a hadronic fluctuation long before the nucleus. The subsequent coherent interaction with more than one nucleon in the nucleus leads to the depletion sigma(gamma* A) < A sigma( gamma*N) known as shadowing. A comparison of the shadowing of quarks to E665 data for 40Ca and 207Pb shows good agreement.
Signatures of quark gluon plasma formation in high-energy heavy ion collisions : a critical review
(1998)
Ultra-relativistic heavy ion collisions offer the unique opportunity to probe highly excited dense nuclear matter under controlled laboratory conditions. The compelling driving force for such studies is the expectation that an entirely new form of matter may be created from such reactions. That form of matter, called the Quark Gluon Plasma (QGP), is the QCD analogue of the plasma phase of ordinary atomic matter. However, unlike such ordinary plasmas, the deconfined quanta of a QGP are not directly observable because of the fundamental confining property of the physical QCD vacuum. What is observable are hadronic and leptonic residues of the transient QGP state. There is a large variety of such individual probes.
We study J/psi suppression in AB collisions assuming that the charmonium states evolve from small, color transparent configurations. Their interaction with nucleons and nonequilibrated, secondary hadrons is simulated us- ing the microscopic model UrQMD. The Drell-Yan lepton pair yield and the J/psi /Drell-Yan ratio are calculated as a function of the neutral transverse en- ergy in Pb+Pb collisions at 160 GeV and found to be in reasonable agreement with existing data.
Abstract: Local thermal and chemical equilibration is studied for central AqA collisions at 10.7 160 AGeV in the Ultrarelativis- . tic Quantum Molecular Dynamics model UrQMD . The UrQMD model exhibits strong deviations from local equilibrium at the high density hadron string phase formed during the early stage of the collision. Equilibration of the hadron resonance matter is established in the central cell of volume Vs125 fm3 at later stages, tG10 fmrc, of the resulting quasi-isentropic expansion. The thermodynamical functions in the cell and their time evolution are presented. Deviations of the UrQMD quasi-equilibrium state from the statistical mechanics equilibrium are found. They increase with energy per baryon and lead to a strong enhancement of the pion number density as compared to statistical mechanics estimates at SPS energies. PACS: 25.75.-q; 24.10.Lx; 24.10.Pa; 64.30.qt
Homogeneous nucleation of quark gluon plasma, finite size effects and longlived metastable objects
(1998)
The general formalism of homogeneous nucleation theory is applied to study the hadronization pattern of the ultra-relativistic quark-gluon plasma (QGP) undergoing a first order phase transition. A coalescence model is proposed to describe the evolution dynamics of hadronic clusters produced in the nucle- ation process. The size distribution of the nucleated clusters is important for the description of the plasma conversion. The model is most sensitive to the initial conditions of the QGP thermalization, time evolution of the energy den- sity, and the interfacial energy of the plasma hadronic matter interface. The rapidly expanding QGP is first supercooled by about T = T Tc = 4 6%. Then it reheats again up to the critical temperature Tc. Finally it breaks up into hadronic clusters and small droplets of plasma. This fast dynamics occurs within the first 5 10 fm/c. The finite size e ects and fluctuations near the critical temperature are studied. It is shown that a drop of longitudinally expanding QGP of the transverse radius below 4.5 fm can display a long-lived metastability. However, both in the rapid and in the delayed hadronization scenario, the bulk pion yield is emitted by sources as large as 3 4.5 fm. This may be detected experimentally both by a HBT interferometry signal and by the analysis of the rapidity distributions of particles in narrow pT -intervals at small |pT | on an event-by-event basis. PACS numbers: 12.38.Mh, 24.10.Pa, 25.75.-q, 64.60.Qb
Chemically non equilibrated quark antiquark matter is studied within the Nambu Jona-Lasinio model. The equations of state of non strange (q = u, d) and strange (q = s) qq systems are calculated in the mean field approximation. The existence of metastable bound states with zero pressure is predicted at finite densities and temperatures T 50 MeV. It is shown that the minimum energy per particle occurs for symmetric systems, with equal densities of quarks and antiquarks. At T = 0 these metastable states have quark number densities of about 0.5 fm 3 for q = u, d and of 1 fm 3 for q = s. A first order chiral phase transition is found at finite densities and temperatures. The critical temperature for this phase transition is approximately 75 MeV (90 MeV) for the non strange (strange) baryon free quark antiquark matter. For realistic choices of parameters, the model does not predict a phase transition in chemically equilibrated systems. Possible decay channels of the metastable qq droplets and their signatures in relativistic heavy ion collisions are discussed.
Noneequilibrium models (three-fluid hydrodynamics and UrQMD) use to discuss the uniqueness of often proposed experimental signatures for quark matter formation in relativistic heavy ion collisions. It is demonstrated that these two models - although they do treat the most interesting early phase of the collisions quite differently(thermalizing QGP vs. coherent color fields with virtual particles) - both yields a reasonable agreement with a large variety of the available heavy ion data.
We study J/psi suppression in AB collisions assuming that the charmonium states evolve from small, color transparent configurations. Their interaction with nucleons and nonequilibrated, secondary hadrons is simulated using the microscopic model UrQMD. The Drell-Yan lepton pair yield and the J/psi Drell-Yan ratio are calculated as a function of the neutral transverse energy in Pb+Pb collisions at 160 GeV and found to be in reasonable agreement with existing data.
We derive the relativistic quantum transport equation for the pion distribution function based on an effective Lagrangian of the QHD-II model. The closed-time-path Green s function technique and the semiclassical, quasiparticle, and Born approximations are employed in the derivation. Both the mean field and collision term are derived from the same Lagrangian and presented analytically. The dynamical equation for the pions is consistent with that for the nucleons and Delta's which we developed before. Thus, we obtain a relativistic transport model which describes the hadronic matter with N,Delta, and pi degrees of freedom simultaneously. Within this approach, we investigate the medium effects on the pion dispersion relation as well as the pion absorption and pion production channels in cold nuclear matter. In contrast to the results of the nonrelativistic model, the pion dispersion relation becomes harder at low momenta and softer at high momenta as compared to the free one, which is mainly caused by the relativistic kinetics. The theoretically predicted free piN->Delta cross section is in agreement with the experimental data. Medium effects on the piN->Delta cross section and momentum-dependent Delta-decay width are shown to be substantial. PACS-numbers: 24.10.Jv, 13.75.Cs, 21.65.1f, 25.75.2q