Continuous Decoupling of Dynamically Expanding Systems
arXiv:0803.2343 · doi:10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2009.01.079
Abstract
The question of decoupling and freeze-out is reinvestigated and analysed in terms of transparent semi-classical decoupling formulae, which provide a smooth decoupling in time both, for single and two particle inclusive spectra. They generalise frequently employed instantaneous freeze-out procedures and provide simple relations between the damping width and the duration of the decoupling process. The implications on physical phenomena arising from the expansion and decay dynamics of the highly compressed hadronic matter generated in high energy nuclear collisions are discussed.
The paper is significantly revised concentrating on the physics discussion, thereby including material that appeared during the revision stage. The formal derivations are deferred to a forthcoming paper. 20 pages, 2 Figures, Nucl. Phys. A in press