Directly probing existence of $\alpha$-cluster structure in $^{20}$Ne by relativistic heavy-ion collisions

• DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2502.08057
• Publication Date: 2025-02-11
• Authors: Lu-Meng Liu; Haicheng Wang; Songjie Li; C. Zhang; Jun Xu; Zhongzhou Ren; J. Jia; Xu-Guang Huang
• Keywords: Alpha (finance)

Can relativistic heavy-ion collisions only probe the global shape of colliding nuclei, or their detailed internal structure as well? Taking $^{20}$Ne an example, we attempt to directly its $\alpha$-cluster structure, by comparing experimentally measured observables in at energies from density distributions with and without structure. Since two give same nucleus size deformation, they lead similar mid-rapidity observables. However, may considerably reduce free spectator nucleon yield enhance light nuclei yield, a result more compact initial phase-space distribution nucleons inside $\alpha$ clusters. We propose measure scaled ratio neutrons charged particles mass-to-charge $A/Z = 3$, 3/2, 2 ultra-central $^{20}$Ne+$^{20}$Ne collisions, which is found be reduced about $25\%$ $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}} 7$ TeV $20\%$ 200$ GeV $^{20}$Ne. This thus serves robust direct existence uncertainty dynamics.