Speaker
Description
In 2017, the STAR collaboration at RHIC unveiled the global polarization of $\Lambda$ hyperons, establishing a connection between angular momentum in heavy-ion collisions and the vorticity of the quark-gluon plasma (QGP). However, a comprehensive understanding of how spin-states - and thus polarization - evolve throughout the hadronic phase presents a significant challenge. This study investigates the impact of spin-flip processes during (in)elastic scatterings on $\Lambda$ polarization in the hadronic rescattering phase.
We incorporate spin-flip cross sections, derived from both s- and t-channel processes as calculated by Sung, Ko, and Lee [arXiv:2404.15890v1], into the SMASH-vHLLE hybrid approach. This integration enables a dynamic representation of spin states within the hadronic transport regime. Our research systematically implements spin-flip effects in hadronic transport simulations, yielding critical insights into the late-stage evolution of polarization in heavy-ion collisions. The findings hold direct relevance for interpreting experimental results from RHIC and the LHC, advancing our understanding of spin dynamics in the context of QCD.
| Category | Theory |
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