Lambda hyperon polarization in relativistic heavy ion collisions from the chiral kinetic approach

Abstract

Based on the chiral kinetic approach using initial conditions from a multiphase transport model, we study the spin polarizations of quarks and antiquarks in non-central heavy ion collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. Because of the non-vanishing vorticity field in these collisions, quarks and antiquarks are found to acquire appreciable spin polarizations in the direction perpendicular to the reaction plane. Converting quarks and antiquarks to hadrons via the coalescence model, we further calculate the spin polarizations of Lambda and anti-Lambda hyperons and find their values comparable to those measured in experiments by the STAR Collaboration.