Transverse-Mass Spectra in Heavy-Ion Collisions at energies E_{lab} = 2--160 GeV/nucleon

Abstract

Transverse-mass spectra of protons, pions and kaons produced in collisions of heavy nuclei are analyzed within the model of 3-fluid dynamics. It was demonstrated that this model consistently reproduces these spectra in wide ranges of incident energies E_{lab}, from 4A GeV to 160A GeV, rapidity bins and centralities of the collisions. In particular, the model describes the "step-like" dependence of kaon inverse slopes on the incident energy. The key point of this explanation is interplay of hydrodynamic expansion of the system with its dynamical freeze-out.

Comments: 13 pages, 16 figures, summary is extended, version accepted by Phys. Rev. C