Strangeness and Statistical Hadronization: How to Study Quark-Gluon Plasma

Abstract

Statistical hadronization is presented as mechanism for (strange) particle production from a deconfined quark--gluon plasma (QGP) fireball. We first consider hadronic resonance production at RHIC as a test of the model. We present in detail how the hadrochemistry determines particle multiplicities and in case of sudden hadronization allows investigation of QGP properties. A comparative study of strange hadron production at SPS and RHIC is presented. The energy dependence of physical observables shows regularities and a potential discontinuity in the low RHIC range, when comparing these different energy domains. Considering the energy scan program at CERN-SPS we show that the K^+/\pi^+ discontinuity is a baryon density effect.

Comments: 35 pages, 15 figures, presented at the Cracow School of Theoretical Physics, Zakopane, May 30 - June 8, 2003