Probes of the Quark-Gluon Plasma as It Might Be Produced in Ultra-Relativistic Nuclear Collisions

摘要

The energy densities which might be achieved in ultra-relativistic nuclear collisions are discussed. Using these estimates, promising probes of a quark-gluon plasma as it might be produced in such collisions are reviewed. I discuss in detail the emission of photons and di-leptons. The consequences of hydrodynamic expansion and a first order phase transition are explored for the transverse momentum spectrum of hadrons. Fluctuations in the rapidity distribution of hadrons are also discussed as a possible signal for a first order phase transition. The possibility that copious production of strange particles may signal the production of a quark-gluon plasma is also critically assessed. 24 references. (ERA citation 10:011889)