Deciphering the dynamics of nuclear collisions with elongated structure of $^{20}$Ne

Abstract

We investigate the role of intrinsic nuclear geometry of $^{20}$Ne nucleus in particle production in small collision systems. Discrete geometrical representations of $^{20}$Ne, including bi-pyramidal $\alpha$-cluster structure in two different configurations along with NLEFT configurations, are implemented within the Monte Carlo Pythia8/Angantyr framework. The resulting particle production observables in $^{20}$Ne-$^{20}$Ne collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5.36 TeV are systematically compared with those obtained using conventional Woods-Saxon description as well as with the available hydrodynamic model calculations. We investigate the sensitivity of charged particle multiplicity, transverse momentum distributions and mean transverse momentum $\langle p_T \rangle$ to nuclear geometry, $\alpha$-clustering, and orientation effects of $^{20}$Ne nucleus. While explicit clustering and orientation dependence lead to a noticeable modifications in final state charged particle multiplicity, their impact on transverse momentum spectra and $\langle p_T \rangle$ remain modest in central collisions. The results highlight the role of intrinsic nuclear geometry and specific orientation of the colliding nuclei, providing insight into the dynamics of small systems in non-hydrodynamic particle production framework.