Hydro-inspired parameterizations of freeze-out in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

Abstract

Popular parameterizations of the freeze-out conditions in relativistic heavy-ion collisions are discussed. Similarities and differences between the blast-wave model and the single-freeze-out model, both used recently to interpret the RHIC data, are outlined. A non-boost-invariant extension of the single-freeze-out model is proposed and applied to describe the recent BRAHMS data.

Lecture presented by WF at the XLIV Cracow School of Theoretical Physics, Zakopane, Poland, 28 May - 6 June 2004