T. K. Ghosh

Centrality Dependence of Neutral Pion Production in 158A GeV

The production of neutral pions in 158AGeV Pb+Pb collisions has been studied in the WA98 experiment at the CERN SPS. Transverse momentum spectra are studied for the range 0.3 GeV/c<mT-m0<4.0 GeV/c. The results for central collisions are compared to various models. The centrality dependence of the neutral pion spectral shape and yield is investigated. An invariance of the spectral shape and a simple scaling of the yield with the number of participating nucleons is observed for centralities with greater than about 30 participating nucleons which is most naturally explained by assuming an equilibrated system.

^{208}

Abstract A high granularity preshower detector has been fabricated and installed in the WA98 Experiment at the CERN SPS for measuring the spatial distribution of photons produced in the forward region in lead-ion-induced interactions. Photons are counted by detecting the preshower signal in plastic scintillator pads placed behind a 3 radiation length thick lead converter and applying a threshold on the scintillator signal to reject the minimum ionizing particles. Techniques to improve the imaging of the fibre and performance of the detector in the high multiplicity environment of lead–lead collisions are described. Using Monte-Carlo simulation methods and test beam data of π− and e− at various energies the photon counting efficiency is estimated to be 68% for central and 73% for peripheral Pb+Pb collisions.

Pb+

The interaction of an E/A=70-MeV (7)Be beam with a Be target was used to populate levels in (6)Be following neutron knockout reactions. The three-body decay of the ground and first excited states into the α+p+p exit channel were detected in the High Resolution Array. Precise three-body correlations extracted from the experimental data allowed us to obtain insight into the mechanism of the three-body democratic decay. The correlation data are in good agreement with a three-cluster-model calculation and thus validate this theoretical approach over a broad energy range.

^{208}

Abstract Azimuthal correlations of photons produced at mid-rapidity in 200 A GeV S + Au collisions have been studied using a preshower photon multiplicity detector in the WA93 experiment. The Fourier expansion method has been employd to estimate the event plane via the anisotropy of the event as a function of centrality. The event plane correlation technique has been used to determine the true event anisotropy, beyond the anisotropy which arises due to finite multiplicity. The VENUS event generator with rescattering and proper simulation of the detector response can explain only a portion of the observed anisotropy. The residual anisotropy is found to be of the order of 5% for semi-central collisions. This suggests that directed collective flow of the produced particles is present at SPS energies.

Pb Collisions

The influence of alpha clustering on nuclear reaction dynamics is investigated using the giant dipole resonance (GDR) lineshape studies in the reactions {sup 20}Ne (E{sub lab}=145,160 MeV) + {sup 12}C and {sup 20}Ne (E{sub lab}=160 MeV) + {sup 27}Al, populating {sup 32}S and {sup 47}V, respectively. The GDR lineshapes from the two systems are remarkably different from each other. Whereas, the non-alpha-like {sup 47}V undergoes Jacobi shape transition and matches exceptionally well with the theoretical GDR lineshape estimated under the framework rotating liquid drop model (RLDM) and thermal shape fluctuation model (TSFM) signifying shape equilibration, for the alpha cluster {sup 32}S an extended prolate kind of shape is observed. This unusual deformation, seen directly via gamma decay for the first time, is predicted to be due to the formation of orbiting dinuclear configuration or molecular structure of {sup 16}O + {sup 16}O in the {sup 32}S superdeformed band.

A PRESHOWER PHOTON MULTIPLICITY DETECTOR FOR THE WA98 EXPERIMENT

The interaction of an E/A=70-MeV (7)Be beam with a Be target was used to populate levels in (6)Be following neutron knockout reactions. The three-body decay of the ground and first excited states into the α+p+p exit channel were detected in the High Resolution Array. Precise three-body correlations extracted from the experimental data allowed us to obtain insight into the mechanism of the three-body democratic decay. The correlation data are in good agreement with a three-cluster-model calculation and thus validate this theoretical approach over a broad energy range.

Democratic Decay of 6Be Exposed by Correlations

It has been generally accepted that momentum-dependent potentials for neutrons and protons at energies well away from the Fermi surface cause both to behave as if their inertial masses are effectively 70% of the vacuum values. This similarity in effective masses may no longer hold in dense neutron-rich regions within neutron stars, core-collapse supernovas, and nuclear collisions. There differences in the momentum-dependent symmetry potentials may cause neutron and proton effective masses to differ significantly. We investigate this effect by measuring the energy spectra of neutrons, protons, and charged particles emitted in

Azimuthal anisotropy in S + Au reactions at 200 A GeV

^{112}\mathrm{Sn}+^{112}\mathrm{Sn}

Extreme nuclear shapes examined via giant dipole resonance lineshapes in hot light-mass systems

and

Democratic Decay ofBe6Exposed by Correlations

^{124}\mathrm{Sn}+^{124}\mathrm{Sn}