The elliptic flow difference between baryons and anti-baryons in heavy collision with SMASH Model

Abstract

A significant difference in the elliptic flow $v_2$ for particles and their corresponding antiparticles, which is more pronounced for baryons and anti-baryons, was observed in the STAR experiment during the Beam Energy Scan I (BES-I) at RHIC. By employing the SMASH model, we study the $v_2$ difference between protons and anti-protons, as well as between $\Lambda$ and $\bar{\Lambda}$, in Au + Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 7.7$ GeV as a function of evolution time. It finds that as the evolution time increases, the $v_2$ difference between protons and anti-protons becomes more pronounced compared to that between $\Lambda$ and $\bar{\Lambda}$. This phenomenon can be explained by the different constituent quarks of protons and $\Lambda$. Since some of the $u$ quarks and $d$ quarks come from the colliding nuclei and are transported to mid-rapidity, they undergo more interactions than produced quarks, resulting in the proton $\Delta v_2$ being larger than the $\Lambda$ $\Delta v_2$. We compare the SMASH calculations with STAR BES-I data and argue that higher precision data from BES-II will provide constraints on theoretical frameworks to interpret the $v_2$ differences of particles and anti-particles.