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arXiv · 2001.02852

Non-monotonic energy dependence of net-proton number fluctuations

STAR Collaboration·J. Adam·L. Adamczyk·J. R. Adams·J. K. Adkins·G. Agakishiev·M. M. Aggarwal·Z. Ahammed·I. Alekseev·D. M. Anderson·A. Aparin·E. C. Aschenauer·M. U. Ashraf·F. G. Atetalla·A. Attri·G. S. Averichev·V. Bairathi·K. Barish·A. Behera·R. Bellwied·A. Bhasin·J. Bielcik·J. Bielcikova·L. C. Bland·I. G. Bordyuzhin·J. D. Brandenburg·A. V. Brandin·J. Butterworth·H. Caines·M. Calderón de la Barca Sánchez·D. Cebra·I. Chakaberia·P. Chaloupka·B. K. Chan·F-H. Chang·Z. Chang·N. Chankova-Bunzarova·A. Chatterjee·D. Chen·J. H. Chen·X. Chen·Z. Chen·J. Cheng·M. Cherney·M. Chevalier·S. Choudhury·W. Christie·H. J. Crawford·M. Csanád·M. Daugherity·T. G. Dedovich·I. M. Deppner·A. A. Derevschikov·L. Didenko·X. Dong·J. L. Drachenberg·J. C. Dunlop·T. Edmonds·N. Elsey·J. Engelage·G. Eppley·R. Esha·S. Esumi·O. Evdokimov·A. Ewigleben·O. Eyser·R. Fatemi·S. Fazio·P. Federic·J. Fedorisin·C. J. Feng·Y. Feng·P. Filip·E. Finch·Y. Fisyak·A. Francisco·L. Fulek·C. A. Gagliardi·T. Galatyuk·F. Geurts·A. Gibson·K. Gopal·D. Grosnick·W. Guryn·A. I. Hamad·A. Hamed·J. W. Harris·S. He·W. He·X. He·S. Heppelmann·N. Herrmann·E. Hoffman·L. Holub·Y. Hong·S. Horvat·Y. Hu·H. Z. Huang·S. L. Huang·T. Huang
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Abstract

Non-monotonic variation with collision energy ($\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$) of the moments of the net-baryon number distribution in heavy-ion collisions, related to the correlation length and the susceptibilities of the system, is suggested as a signature for the Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) critical point. We report the first evidence of a non-monotonic variation in kurtosis times variance of the net-proton number (proxy for net-baryon number) distribution as a function of \rootsnn with 3.1$\sigma$ significance, for head-on (central) gold-on-gold (Au+Au) collisions measured using the STAR detector at RHIC. Data in non-central Au+Au collisions and models of heavy-ion collisions without a critical point show a monotonic variation as a function of $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$.

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STAR Collaboration, J. Adam, L. Adamczyk, J. R. Adams, J. K. Adkins, G. Agakishiev, M. M. Aggarwal, Z. Ahammed, I. Alekseev, D. M. Anderson, A. Aparin, E. C. Aschenauer, M. U. Ashraf, F. G. Atetalla, A. Attri, G. S. Averichev, V. Bairathi, K. Barish, A. Behera, R. Bellwied, A. Bhasin, J. Bielcik, J. Bielcikova, L. C. Bland, I. G. Bordyuzhin, J. D. Brandenburg, A. V. Brandin, J. Butterworth, H. Caines, M. Calderón de la Barca Sánchez, D. Cebra, I. Chakaberia, P. Chaloupka, B. K. Chan, F-H. Chang, Z. Chang, N. Chankova-Bunzarova, A. Chatterjee, D. Chen, J. H. Chen, X. Chen, Z. Chen, J. Cheng, M. Cherney, M. Chevalier, S. Choudhury, W. Christie, H. J. Crawford, M. Csanád, M. Daugherity, T. G. Dedovich, I. M. Deppner, A. A. Derevschikov, L. Didenko, X. Dong, J. L. Drachenberg, J. C. Dunlop, T. Edmonds, N. Elsey, J. Engelage, G. Eppley, R. Esha, S. Esumi, O. Evdokimov, A. Ewigleben, O. Eyser, R. Fatemi, S. Fazio, P. Federic, J. Fedorisin, C. J. Feng, Y. Feng, P. Filip, E. Finch, Y. Fisyak, A. Francisco, L. Fulek, C. A. Gagliardi, T. Galatyuk, F. Geurts, A. Gibson, K. Gopal, D. Grosnick, W. Guryn, A. I. Hamad, A. Hamed, J. W. Harris, S. He, W. He, X. He, S. Heppelmann, N. Herrmann, E. Hoffman, L. Holub, Y. Hong, S. Horvat, Y. Hu, H. Z. Huang, S. L. Huang, T. Huang. 2020-01-09. Non-monotonic energy dependence of net-proton number fluctuations. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.126.092301

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