Bayesian inference of the incompressibility, skewness and kurtosis of nuclear matter from empirical pressures in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

摘要

Within the Bayesian statistical framework we infer the incompressibility K-0, skewness J(0) and kurtosis Z(0) parameters of symmetric nuclear matter (SNM) at its saturation density rho(0) using the constraining bands on the pressure in cold SNM in the density range of 1.3 rho(0) to 4.5 rho(0) from transport model analyses of kaon production and nuclear collective flow in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. As the default option assuming the K-0, J(0) and Z(0) have Gaussian prior probability distribution functions (PDFs) with the means and variances of 235 +/- 30, -200 +/- 200 and -146 +/- 1728 MeV, their posterior most probable values are narrowed down to 192-16+12 MeV, -180-110+100200-250+250 at 68% confidence level, respectively. The results are largely independent of the prior PDFs of J(0) and Z(0) used. However, if one adopts the strong belief that the incompressibility K-0 has a uniform prior PDF within its absolute boundary of 220-260 MeV as one can find easily in the literature, the posterior most probable values of K-0, J(0) and Z(0) shift to K0=220-0+6 MeV, J0=-390-70+60Z0=600-200+200 MeV, respectively. While the posterior PDFs of the SNM EOS parameters depend somewhat on the prior PDF of K-0 used, the results from using different prior PDFs are qualitatively consistent. The uncertainties of all three parameters are significantly reduced especially for the J(0) and Z(0) parameters compared to their current values.