Nuclear coalescence from correlation functions

Abstract

We derive a simple formula relating the cross section for light cluster production (defined via a coalescence factor) to the two-proton correlation function measured in heavy-ion collisions. The formula generalises earlier coalescence-correlation relations found by Scheibl & Heinz and by Mrowczynski for Gaussian source models. It motivates joint experimental analyses of Hanbury Brown-Twiss (HBT) and cluster yield measurements in existing and future data sets.

Comments: 10 pages, 4 figures. v2: some clarifications. A missing (2\pi)^3 normalization factor, relating diff cross sec to density matrix traces, is corrected in Secs.II.A and II.B. It does not affect any of the results