The production of light nuclei in heavy-ion collisions is an excellent probe for studying the phase diagram of quantum chromodynamics and for the search for a critical end point. In this work we apply a hybrid approach in which we study the light nuclei production in the afterburner stage of central $\mathrm{Au}+\mathrm{Au}$ collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=7.7$, 14.5, and 19.6 GeV. In this stage, light nuclei are produced dynamically in $4\leftrightarrow 2$ catalysis reactions. A comparison of the dynamic production and a coalescence approach is presented for transverse momentum spectra of deuterons, tritons, ${}^3\mathrm{He}$ nuclei, and hypertritons and ratios of light nuclei yields. A good agreement with the experimentally measured yield of nuclei is found and we proceed to further investigate the production mechanisms of light nuclei by calculating the rates of the important channels for the formation and disintegration. We find that the afterburner stage is essential for the description of light nuclei formation in heavy-ion collisions, as light nuclei undergo a large number of interactions.

Close

PrevNext

View figure in article

• Particle & resonance production
• Particle interactions
• Relativistic heavy-ion collisions