Work

Explanation of the observed violation of isospin symmetry in relativistic nucleus-nucleus reactions

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The violation of isospin symmetry in nucleus-nucleus reactions, as shown in the ratio R K = ( K + + K − ) / ( K 0 + K ¯ 0 ) presented by NA61/SHINE, can be understood by introducing results from color-string fragmentation in e + e − to nuclear reactions. This novel input allows for a consistent description of the e + e − data, proton+proton data and finally nucleus-nucleus data at all investigated energies. We conclude that the observed “isospin violation” in nucleus-nucleus reactions is explained by asymmetric production of charged Kaons and neutral Kaons, related to the broken SU(3) flavor symmetry already in elementary reactions. Practically, we implement this asymmetry into the simulation by adjusting the relative up- and down-quark probabilities in the elementary color field fragmentation process.

Source: Physics Letters B

DOI: 10.1016/j.physletb.2026.140170

Authors: Tom Reichert, Jan Steinheimer, Marcus Bleicher

Institutions: Goethe University Frankfurt, GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research, Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, European Organization for Nuclear Research

Language: English

Topic: Particle physics theoretical and experimental studies

Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: diamond

Funders: Stiftung Polytechnische Gesellschaft Frankfurt am Main, Samson

OpenAlex ID: W7123732988

FWCI:

Cites: 8

Cited by:

Related to: