Nuclear modification of B c mesons in relativistic heavy-ion collisions based on a linear Boltzmann transport model
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The nuclear modification factor ( R AA ) of B c mesons in high-energy nuclear collisions provides a novel probe of heavy quark interactions with the quark-gluon plasma (QGP). Based on a linear Boltzmann transport model that incorporates both Yukawa and string types of interactions between heavy quarks and the QGP, we study the production and evolution of heavy quarks and B c mesons within the same framework. A B c bound state dissociates while one of its constituent heavy quarks scatters with the QGP with momentum transfer greater than its binding energy. The medium-modified charm and bottom quarks can recombine into B c mesons, and the medium-modified bottom quarks can also fragment to B c mesons. We find that most primordial B c mesons generated from the initial hard collisions dissociate inside the QGP. The production of B c mesons is primarily driven by the recombination mechanism at low transverse momentum and fragmentation at high transverse momentum. The string interaction dominates over the Yukawa interaction in the nuclear modification of B c mesons. The participant number dependence of the B c meson R AA is determined by the complicated interplay between the heavy quark yield, energy loss, and the QGP volume. We obtain a reasonable description of the R AA of B c mesons in Pb + Pb collisions at s NN = 5.02 TeV, and provide predictions for Au + Au collisions at s NN = 200 GeV.
Source: Physical Review C
Authors: Lejing Zhang, Xiaowen Li, Wen-Jing Xing, Shanshan Cao, Guang-You Qin
Institutions: Shandong University, Central China Normal University
Language: English
Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4410497902