Fluid acceleration in heavy-ion collisions
摘要
We study the generation and space-time evolution of fluid acceleration in heavy-ion collisions using the AMPT and UrQMD transport models in conjunction with a Gaussian smearing procedure. The peak proper acceleration can reach several hundred MeV, with modest model dependence in the present analysis. Transverse acceleration points outward and is strongest near the fireball boundary, where steep pressure gradients and low enthalpy density act together; this pattern persists even at early times and at low beam energies. Longitudinal acceleration exhibits pronounced collision-energy dependence: Low-energy collisions exhibit early deceleration from nuclear stopping, while ultra-relativistic collisions produce sharp, model-dependent acceleration pulses associated with the passage of the passing nuclei. The volume-averaged acceleration is only weakly dependent on centrality, as the largest values are localized at the fireball boundaries. These strong acceleration fields may have important implications for QGP physics, including an effective Unruh temperature that mimics a thermal bath, potential influences on the chiral phase transition and deconfinement, and contributions to spin polarization beyond purely vortical effects.