K^+ versus \Lambda flow in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

Abstract

We study $K^+$ and $\Lambda$ flow in heavy-ion collisions at beam energies of about 2A GeV. We present our results in both the `traditional' (i.e., in terms of the average transverse momentum in the reaction plane) as well as `modern' (i.e., in terms of coefficients of the Fourier analysis of azimuthal distributions) methods of flow analysis. We find significant differences between the $K^+$ and the $\Lambda$ flow: while the $\Lambda$ flow is basically similar to that of nucleons, the $K^+$ flow almost disappears. This difference is attributed chiefly to their different mean field potentials in dense matter. The comparisons with the experimental data, as well as theoretical results from independent calculations, indicate clearly the pivotal roles of both $K^+$ and $\Lambda$ medium effects. We emphasize that similar experimental data from independent collaborations are essential for the eventual verification of these medium effects.