Skip to content

Two-Photon Physics in Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions at RHIC

Joakim Nystrand, Spencer Klein, the STAR Collaboration

nucl-exarXiv:nucl-ex/9811007

Abstract

Ultra-relativistic heavy-ions carry strong electromagnetic and nuclear fields. Interactions between these fields in peripheral nucleus-nucleus collisions can probe many interesting physics topics. This presentation will focus on coherent two-photon and photonuclear processes at RHIC. The rates for these interactions will be high. The coherent coupling of all the protons in the nucleus enhances the equivalent photon flux by a factor Z2 up to an energy of ~3 GeV. The plans for studying coherent interactions with the STAR experiment will be discussed. Experimental techniques for separating signal from background will be presented.

Create a lesson