Baryon deceleration by strong chromofields in ultrarelativistic nuclear collisions

Abstract

It is assumed that strong chromofields are generated at early stages of ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions which give rise to a collective deceleration of net baryons from colliding nuclei. We have solved classical equations of motion for baryonic slabs under the action of a time-dependent longitudinal chromoelectric field. It is demonstrated that the slab final rapidities are rather sensitive to the strength and decay time of the chromofield as well as to the back reaction of the produced partonic plasma. The net-baryon rapidity loss of about 2 units, found for most central Au-Au collisions at RHIC, can be explained by the action of chromofields with the initial energy density of about 50 GeV/fm^3. Predictions for the baryon stopping at the LHC are made.