Quark Number Susceptibilities & The Wroblewski Parameter

Abstract

The Wroblewski parameter is a convenient indicator of strangeness production and can be employed to monitor a signal of quark-gluon plasma production : enhancement of strangeness production. It has been shown to be about a factor two higher in heavy ion collisions than in hadronic collisions. Using a method proposed by us earlier, we obtained lattice QCD results for the Wroblewski parameter from our simulations of QCD with two light quarks both below and above the chiral transition. Our first principles based and parameter free result compare well with the A-A data from SPS and RHIC.

5 pages, Plenary talk by R.V.G. at Hard Probes 2004, Ericeira, Portugal, Nov.4-10, 2004; Reference added