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Experimental Status of the AGS Relativistic Heavy Ion Program
T. Craig Sangster$
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550
Abstract
The universal motivation for colliding large nuclei at relativistic energies is the expectation that
a small volume of the primordial quark soup, generally referred to as the Quark-Gluon Plasma
(QGP), can be created and studied. The QGP is formed via a phase transition caused by either
the extreme baryon densities and/or the extreme temperatures achieved in the overlap zone of the
two colliding nuclei. Experiments at the Brookhaven National Laboratory Alternating Gradient
Synchrotron (AGS) using a beam of Si nuclei at 14.6 GeV per nucleon on various nuclear targets
have been completed. These same experiments are now actively searching for signatures of QGP
formation using a beam of Au nuclei at 11.7 GeV per nucleon. This paper briefly summarizes some
of the key results from the Si beam program and the current status of the experimental Au beam
program at the AGS.1. Introduction
By colliding relativistic heavy ion beams with stationary
nuclei, extremely dense baryonic matter is created
in the laboratory. Estimates based on. experimental
observation and theoretical calculations indicate that
densities between 4 and 9 times the groundstate
matter density, po, should be achieved in small impact
parameter collisions at energies of approximately 10
GeV per nucleon. Model predictions which explicitly
include a nuclear matter equation-of-state (EOS) show
considerable sensitivity to the EOS parameters at these
densities. In addition, at these densities theorists
predict that nuclear matter may undergo a transition
from the normal bound states of quarks and gluons
(hadronic matter) to a state in which the quarks and
gluons are free to move within the high density volume.
This primordial state is generally referred to as the
Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP) and has not existed since
the Big Bang.
The experimental relativistic heavy ion program
at the Brookhaven National Laboratory Alternating
t E-mail: sangsterl@llnl.govGradient Synchrotron (AGS) began in 1986, utilizing a
14.6 GeV per nucleon Si beam for a broad spectrum
of measurements designed to study both detailed
properties and gross features of Si+A collisions. The
original large experiments included E802, E810, E814
and E858. E802 measured particle spectra and the
transverse energy of produced particles at mid-rapidity
with extensive event characterization including total
charged particle multiplicity and zero degree energy.
E810 offered a 4-r examination of charge particle
production using a series of time-projection chambers
with limited single particle identification capabilities.
E814 measured particle spectra forward of mid-rapidity
and incorporated transverse energy measurements at
both target and mid-rapidities. Finally, E858 consisted
of a beam line spectrometer optimized to search at zero
degrees for antinuclei as well as the standard suite of
produced particles.
The current AGS experimental relativistic heavy ion
program is based on measurements using an 11.7 GeV
per nucleon Au beam. All of the major experiments have
upgraded to accomodate the higher charged particle
multiplicities and most have added additional inclusive
or event characterization measurements to study eitherThis work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy
by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under contract No. W-7405-Eng-48.
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Sangster, T.C. Experimental status of the AGS Relativistic Heavy Ion Program, report, October 1, 1994; California. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc710670/m1/4/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.