Sub-threshold charm production in nuclear collisions

Abstract

We present the first predictions for sub-threshold open charm and charmonium production in nuclear collisions. The production mechanism is driven by multi-step scatterings of nucleons and their resonance states, accumulating sufficient energy for the production of $J/\Psi$, $\Lambda_c + \overline{D}$ and $D+\overline{D}$. Our results are of particular importance for the CBM experiment at FAIR, as they indicate that already at the SIS100 accelerator one can expect a significant number of charmed hadrons to be produced. This opens new possibilities to explore charm dynamics and the formation of charmed nuclei.