13–17 Apr 2026
CERN
Europe/Zurich timezone

News in the search for the critical point at NA61/SHINE.

15 Apr 2026, 14:20
20m
503/1-001 - Council Chamber (CERN)

503/1-001 - Council Chamber

CERN

162
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Speaker

Barnabas Porfy (HUN-REN Wigner Research Centre for Physics (HU))

Description

The NA61/SHINE experiment at the CERN SPS is a multipurpose fixed-target spectrometer for charged and neutral hadron measurements. Its research program includes strong interaction studies focusing on the exploration of the QCD phase diagram and understanding the phase structures of strongly interacting matter, including the hypothesized QCD critical point. To map the QCD phase diagram, the experiment conducted beam momentum ($\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}} = 5 - 17$ GeV) and system size ($p$+$p$, $p$+Pb, Be+Be, Ar+Sc, Xe+La, Pb+Pb) scans.

In this contribution, we present recent measurements of multiplicity and net-electric charge fluctuations of higher order moments at NA61/SHINE as a function of system size ($p$+$p$, Ar+Sc) and collision energy. The results are compared across different energies, as well as against model predictions. We also present recent measurements of femtoscopic correlations, revealing that the shape of the particle-emitting source is not Gaussian. The measurements are based on alpha-stable symmetric L\'evy sources, and we discuss the average pair transverse mass, collision energy, and system size dependence of the source parameters. Finally, we summarize the current status of proton and $h^-$ intermittency analyses in the collision energy range $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}} = 5 - 17$ GeV, for a variety of nucleus-nucleus collisions (Ar+Sc, Xe+La, Pb+Pb).

Presentation materials