Can hadronic rescattering explain the large elliptic flow and small HBT radii seen at RHIC?

Abstract

Results from the data obtained in the first physics run of the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) have shown suprisingly large elliptic flow and suprisingly small HBT radii. Attempts to explain both results in a consistant picture have so far been unsuccessful. The present work shows that a thermal model + hadronic rescattering calculation can explain both elliptic flow and HBT results from RHIC. The calculation requires a very early hadronization time of about 1 fm/c after the initial collision of the nuclei.