Rapidity dependence of mean transverse momentum fluctuation and decorrelation in a baryon-dense medium
Phys. Rev. C 113, 054904 – Published 11 May, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/q2wb-19k1
Abstract
I study the event-by-event fluctuation and rapidity decorrelation of the mean transverse momentum , which has recently been proposed as a sensitive probe of the equation of state at finite baryon density. The investigation reveals that, in a baryon-rich medium, the event-by-event fluctuation of the mean transverse momentum is driven by the combined effects of energy-density and net-baryon-density fluctuations. Consequently, the rapidity dependence of this observable provides a promising handle to probe the three-dimensional structure of both energy and baryon density profiles. Previous studies have shown that decorrelation with rapidity is largely insensitive to shear and bulk viscosity; however, its dependence on baryon diffusion, another key transport coefficient in baryonic matter, has not been explored. I find that baryon diffusion has a negligible impact, establishing this observable as a robust probe of the equation of state. Furthermore, I present predictions for identified hadrons and observe a pronounced splitting in the rapidity decorrelation of mean transverse momentum between protons and antiprotons, indicating different transverse flow dynamics for baryons and antibaryons.