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A "snowball in hell" hadronic molecule is explained by a new thermodynamic variable called "contact." Its production rate in heavy-ion collisions depends on contact density, even with low binding energy.

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Area of Science:

  • Nuclear Physics
  • High-Energy Physics
  • Thermodynamics

Background:

  • Hadronic molecules are loosely bound states observed in relativistic heavy-ion collisions.
  • These molecules emerge from extremely hot hadron resonance gas, a phenomenon termed "snowball in hell."
  • The high temperature of the gas is orders of magnitude greater than the molecule's binding energy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explain the production of loosely bound hadronic molecules in extreme thermal environments.
  • To introduce and utilize a novel thermodynamic variable, "contact," to describe this phenomenon.
  • To establish a relationship between the molecule's production rate and the properties of the hadron resonance gas.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a new thermodynamic variable: the "contact."
  • Relating the contact to the binding momentum of the hadronic molecule.
  • Expressing the molecule's production rate as a function of contact density at kinetic freeze-out.

Main Results:

  • The "contact" variable successfully explains the formation of hadronic molecules in a hot environment.
  • The production rate of the molecule is directly linked to the contact density of the hadron resonance gas.
  • A nonzero limit for the production rate is observed as the binding energy approaches zero.

Conclusions:

  • The "contact" provides a robust thermodynamic framework for understanding loosely bound hadronic molecules.
  • This framework elucidates the counterintuitive survival of these molecules in high-temperature conditions.
  • The study offers new insights into the statistical mechanics of strongly interacting matter.