Chemical Equilibrium in Heavy Ion Collisions: Rapidity Dependence

Abstract

Particle yields in heavy ion collisions show an overwhelming evidence for chemical or relative chemical equilibrium at all beam energies. The rapidity dependence of the thermal parameters $T$ and ${\mu }_B$ can now be determined over a wide range of rapidities and show a systematic behavior towards an increase in ${\mu }_B$ away from mid-rapidity.

Comments: 5 pages, 4 figures